Branwen's Destiny
by ynyn
Summary: It is said that those born with silver eyes are destined to be warriors. When Raven Branwen raised Ruby as her own in the Branwen tribe it was that destiny she sought to fulfill. /Ruby in Shade Academy/Rated M/
1. Ruby Branwen

**AN:** So, this will be my third and last new story. After this, I will work on my three stories simultaneously, so I have a good mix of fresh muse, no boredom and no overwhelming amounts of stories to work on.

Here, we will have Ruby as a Branwen, adopted and raised by Raven to be the warrior she was destined to be. How that came to be will be revealed as the story goes on. I hope you will enjoy this. Chapters will become longer, I aim to have them somewhere between 3k and 5k words per chapter as I feel that is an appropriate length.

All that being said, enjoy and please leave a review!

* * *

She waited. Despite it only being early spring the sun was beating down on her, her long hair sticking to her exposed neck as she kept focusing on the beaten path below her.

There. The grinding of wooden wheels on dirt was as familiar to her by now as the clashing of steel when training with her brothers and sisters. Looking to the side, she saw the merchant sitting on his carriage as a couple horses were pulling it.

It was their folly, really. Everyone earning their livelihoods outside of the kingdoms knew that it was dangerous. There were no soldiers to protect them from the creatures of Grimm, there were no soldiers to protects them from outlaw tribes such as hers.

Pulling out her weapon, a shortened katana with a black and red handle that also included a slot for dust usage, she held the blade against the sun, moving it a couple times and signalling her tribe members on the other side to be ready.

After a few more moments, when the carriage was almost exactly below her, she activated her semblance, leaving nothing but rose petals behind, quickly followed by the rest of the raiding party.

Before the merchant even realized that something was amiss her super speed powered kick connected with his side, the breaking of ribs painfully audible. He flew out of his carriage, tumbling onto the dirt where he quickly got a sack put over his head. A few of others of her tribe held onto the anxious horses, calming them down.

"Well done, Ruby. You are getting better every time," Vernal, basically an elder sister to the young girl, complimented her.

Ruby gave her a smile and a nod in return. "Thank you. I've been taught well."

"And it would be a shame if all that training didn't pay off, right?"

Ruby couldn't help but chuckle at that. Now, fifteen years of age, she participated in raids- big and small- for the past two years. With her unique semblance she was usually the one to start, using the element of surprise that came with her incredible speed. "Does he have anything good?"

Crysta, the other youngster in her raid group, peeked out of the carriage as she handed their loot to the others. "Some silk, some leather, average quality from what I can tell."

"Don't expect too much from a single merchant, kids. If we want the big loot, we raid villages and not some no name who's alone out here," Vernal told them as she tried to raise their spirits.

Of course, they were aware that they wouldn't find anything special on this merchant but there still was always that little twinge of disappointment when all their reward consisted of was cheap leather and silk.

Walking up to Vernal, Ruby oversaw the looting with her elder sister.

"You've really grown, Ruby. I still remember you puking all over yourself when you had to do your first kill," the elder gave her a sidelong grin.

"Mother couldn't decide if she should be disappointed in me for puking or proud for actually killing the man."

The two laughed quietly before Vernal put a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "I'm proud of you. I really am."

"Thank you."

* * *

Their job done, the group arrived a couple hours later back at the camp. The camp itself wasn't anything special; circular in its structure with a few cages for prisoners and small huts and tents for the tribe members to sleep in strewn across. But it was home. For as long as Ruby could remember this simple and practical place was her home. Here she learned to fight, to survive, to hunt and to kill.

It was the creed the Branwen tribe lived by: _The weak die, the strong live._ Those were the rules. From the moment she could understand the concept of life and death Raven would drill it into her. It wasn't always easy, but she learned and now she lived it. It was a good life; tough, sometimes bloody, not always kind but it was a good life. The tribe came first after all and if someone or something stood between her and her family then she would slay it.

"I see you've returned."

Looking towards their tribe leader's tent, Ruby and Vernal watched Raven Branwen approach them.

"Yes, Chieftain. It wasn't much but we got some materials to patch up a few tents and clothes." Vernal answered respectfully and Ruby stood a step behind her mother's most respected tribe member.

While yes, she was the adoptive daughter of the Chieftain she still had to earn her place. Of course, over the past years with rigorous training, harsh words and fights between her and Raven and a lot of blood, sweat and tears she earned a lot of respect. Her mother would never go easy on her though and that was what she wanted from her; to be treated like a tribe member. She didn't want to get coddled and she didn't want to get her rewards handed out on a silver platter.

Everything Ruby gained over the past years was earned and the members knew it.

"Ruby."

Startled out of her thoughts, Ruby looked up to see her mother raise an eyebrow at her.

"I would like to talk with you. Follow me."

Without waiting for an answer, the Chieftain turned around and headed to her tent, expecting her daughter to follow her without question- which she did.

Ruby's heart was beating rapidly against her chest as she wondered what her mother could possibly want to talk to her about. She _did_ make a request to her a while ago and was asked to be patient while her mother thought it through. And patient she was.

Maybe this was it? Maybe her mother finally came to a decision? If she would be denied she certainly would not cry about it. Be disappointed, yes, but after everything her mother told her about the world, about all the secrets kept from the simple-minded civilians, about her birth mother and about her _eyes_ …she would understand if Raven would deny her.

With a shaky breath Ruby followed Raven into the large tent. Her mother sat down on her cushion as Ruby closed the tents flaps behind her.

"Would you like some tea, mother?" The young bandit asked as she walked up to the table and the heated teapot.

"Yes, please."

Filling up tea first for her mother then for her, she sat down on her side of the table, waiting for her mother to speak first.

There were a few moments of silence before Raven finally spoke. "Do you know why I asked to speak with you, Ruby?"

"Because you've come to a decision about me joining an academy?"

"I have indeed." Standing up with her cup still in her hand, Raven turned her back to the table. "I've raised you like my own child. Some may call me a terrible mother for raising someone else's daughter while leaving my own behind but Taiyang made me choose: my tribe or my daughter."

Ruby was silent as she listened to her mother. She told her a lot of things and never hid anything from her but that was the first time that Raven told her about the choice she was forced to make.

"Of course I wished I could have raised my own daughter like I raised you," Raven continued, turning to face Ruby again, "but I don't regret a day. Our tribe flourishes and you are becoming the warrior you are destined to be."

"Thank you, mother."

"And I thank you. I've seen others with more experience and powers at least as great as your eyes crumble while you proved yourself to be an astonishingly resilient child. It was a nice change of pace, if I am honest." Raven then paused for a moment as she took a sip from her steaming cup. "Your birth mother…Summer…she was a great warrior too. But as we all did at first, she too fell into Ozpin's trap. Like Tai. Like my brother. Like even I did. And out of all of us she was the most idealistic and she paid for it with her life."

Ruby didn't want to admit it, she wanted to be strong, but every time her birth mother was mentioned her heart ached. There was no denying that inherently the difference between an adoptive and a birth mother was felt deeply; she was no different in that regard.

But still, she loved Raven just as much as she would have loved her own mother were she still alive, she was sure of it.

"So, I will not allow you to attend to Beacon. Under no circumstances whatsoever will I allow my daughter to fall into the clutches of a wizard who is training children to fight his war. Which he has been losing over the past several millennia."

 _Oh_. "Oh." Ruby dropped her head a bit in disappointment. She kind of saw this answer coming but still had a little bit of hope in her heart. "I understand."

"I understand you wanting to experience something your mother did. But Ozpin is too dangerous, and you will not fight his war for him. Salem is not your enemy."

"I understand, mother."

" _But_ …there is an alternative I would be reluctantly willing to allow."

At that, Ruby perked up again.

The Chieftain couldn't hide her smirk at that. " _Tch_. Of course you'd stop moping as soon as I said that. Shade Academy. You might still be able to see Beacon during the Vytal Festival and, the fact that you are still just fifteen won't be that big of a deal. Go to the academy, say you want to apply and prove yourself. You have nothing to lose."

"You really would allow-"

"Yes, Ruby. But only Vacuo. If you don't manage that then that's it. _And_ -" Raven held up a hand to interrupt Ruby before she spoke, "once you have graduated you _will_ return to the tribe. Is that clear?"

"Yes, mother. Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, child." Walking up to her still sitting daughter, Raven ran a hand through Ruby's hair, a rare show of affection she allowed herself from time to time. "Just go there, learn and return to your family. Once you've done all of that…then you can thank me."

* * *

It was different, that much was certain. Once the ship docked at the coast to Vacuo all she could see was sand and all she could feel was the unforgiving and scorching heat of the sun.

It definitely was an unforgiving place, but it was what she wanted. She wanted to learn why her mother wanted to be a huntress, she wanted to learn what her other mother learned during her time in an academy.

There were a few here and there in the tribe who asked her to stay, to not abandon her family like Qrow did years back and she had to assure them again and again that all she wanted was to see and experience what it was like, to sate her curiosity and to have something else in common with her birth mother than her looks.

They understood to some extent at least.

And then there was also her dear friend Perid who asked her to at least spend another last night with him and, well, who was she to deny him that?

A slight twitch of her lips escaped her at that memory before she shook herself and took in her surroundings once more.

She wasn't sure where to go so the best thing to do was to ask someone. Walking up to the next person in sight she tapped the man on the shoulder, drawing his attention to her. "How do I get to Shade Academy?"

"You look a bit young to be a huntress, missy," he replied with a toothless smile.

Rolling her eyes, she ignored him and looked for someone else to ask when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Without looking she grasped the hand firmly and quickly twisted and turned before standing behind the culprit, his arm bent painfully against his back.

"H-hey, sorry, I just heard your question and wanted to help you out, man!"

" _Tch_." Releasing him after slightly pushing him away from herself, she gave him a quick once over. He seemed to be a bit older than her, probably around the appropriate age to apply to Shade. "Who are you?" Ruby asked him, her arms folded over her chest as she raised her chin up a bit.

"Name's Nolan Porfirio," he answered her with a smirk, "and I'm applying to Shade too. Figured, since, you know, you don't seem to be from around here I'd help you out."

She stared at him for a few more moments, trying to judge his sincerity, before nodding. "Fine, lead on."

"Alright, transport stations with air busses are this way."

Ruby followed him, a few paces behind him as she turned her head this way and that, still almost nothing but sand. "Are there actually any cities or villages close by?"

"Villages are rare since it can be really dangerous. There's the heat, then the Grimm. There's still a few settlements here and there but it's mainly cities. Providing a functioning infrastructure between cities and villages in a desert is kind of hard after all. What's your name, by the way?" Nolan asked as he glanced back at her.

"Ruby."

"Just Ruby?"

"Ruby Branwen."

Nodding, they kept walking for a bit longer before he again glanced back at her. "No offense, Ruby Branwen, but I got to admit that old fart wasn't wrong when he said that you look kind of young."

"And?"

"Well, there is the law that you have to be seventeen to apply to an academy."

Ruby snorted at that. "You are talking about law in Vacuo? Isn't this place infamous because no one gives a damn about law?"

Nolan paused for a moment before shrugging. "Fair enough. It's going to be hard on you though and- ah, there we are."

In front of them was a large transport station that seemed incredibly out of place in the desert, but it was good to see it. It meant Ruby was another step closer. Even if she was younger than everybody else, she would get in and if it meant she had to beat her way through every other candidate.


	2. Shade Academy

**AN:** Hi, dear readers! First things first, thanks to all of you for the big numbers of follows and favs! I really didn't expect so many to be interested in this after only the first chapter! So, a big thanks to all of you!

Next, this chapter is only slightly longer as the first, but it felt like a good spot to end.

Other than that, not much to say, so enjoy!

 **gothboy-wxlf:** Thanks for being the first to review! Also, I hope this story will live up to your expectations.

 **Tensazangitsu:** As am I! There's so many aspects about this Ruby that will be different to the show's always positive and really sweet and cute Ruby Rose. I do believe that being raised by Raven will have a huge impact on this Ruby and she will adopt so many characteristics and views of Raven that she will be a hugely different person altogether compared to the Ruby we know. Also, is that name a Bleach reference? :P

* * *

Never before had Ruby seen the world from such a height as she did now, sitting inside of an air bus on her way to Shade Academy. Of course, there was the occasional airship that she would see as it flew by but seeing the ground below her from so far away was something different and fascinating to her. In such a short time so much in her life had already changed.

Growing up as Raven Branwen's adoptive daughter certainly wasn't an easy experience but it was still something she had grown to cherish. It came with expectations and a sense of duty to the tribe. It came with lots of tough love but not without the tender moments in between. It came with the knowledge that whatever she did would also reflect on her mother.

There were times when she struggled to cope with the training Raven put her through. She never was in mortal danger, obviously, but Raven still made sure to make the training hurt.

" _You think your enemies will go easy on you, Ruby? You think your enemies will say 'she only has training experience, let's not hit her so hard?"_

She also remembered times when Raven's training had her bedridden for a week, her aura still untrained as it was doing very little to protect her. As the time went on however, Ruby grew more and more determined to prove herself to Raven and the tribe. When she first started training once she reached her sixth birthday Ruby definitely was one of the weaker children; she could admit that much.

She got beaten easily, she cried a lot, she didn't want to hurt others. Two years later her attitude had changed thanks to a lot of one-on-ones with Raven.

The Branwen tribe's chieftain was the reason- probably the sole reason- why Ruby was who she was today, and she was forever grateful for that. Despite knowing that she still had ways to go Ruby was aware of her strength, of her cunning, of how ruthless in battle she became. She also knew that all those changes from the innocent child who couldn't land a hit without apologizing for hurting the other kids to who she was now were thanks to Raven.

With only fifteen she now was an experienced fighter compared to many others. Her mother shaped her, forged her and built her.

The woman who gave birth to her, the woman whom she wished she could have known in person, whom she wished she could have at least be able to talk to, was Summer Rose, her birth mother.

But- and that was the decider, the point that shaped her entire being- the woman who raised her, who _became_ her mother in every sense aside from giving birth to her, was Raven Branwen, chieftain of the Branwen tribe.

In her blood she may be a Rose but in her very being, her very soul, she was a daughter of the Branwen tribe.

But sill, a last connection to her birth mother was what she craved. She wanted to know what it was about those academies that Summer Rose was so intent on joining them. Having the same training as her birth mother would mean so much more to her, both in maybe gaining some understanding to the kind of person Summer Rose was. She knew that Raven was more of a mother to her than any other person could ever be, having saved her from certain death and taken her in, but Raven also knew where Ruby was coming from. There was nothing wrong with wanting to learn more about the kind of person the woman who gave birth to her was.

Ruby also understood that maybe her curiosity would be sated or maybe it wouldn't, but one way or another she would graduate from Shade with the experience and knowledge of a huntress and her tribe would profit from it. After all, wasn't that why the tribe sent Raven and Qrow to Beacon all those years back?

 _I'll make you proud, mother,_ Ruby thought to herself as she gazed out of the window of the air bus, _I'll come back to my family even stronger._

* * *

It took the better part of an hour for the air bus to arrive at Shade Academy. Ruby wasn't sure what she was expecting but it certainly wasn't a building that looked like some kind of temple in the middle of an oasis.

Once she got out of the cooled interior of the air bus she was hit again by the heat of Vacuo. The entirety of the Academy seemed to be made of stone as it was surrounded by a large body of water and a big number of palm trees strewn across. It was a far cry from the environment she usually was used to.

"Come on."

Looking to her side, she saw Nolan nodding towards the building, indicating for her to follow him. When he saw her walking towards him he started walking up the ramp of the air bus station.

"How does it work?"

Nolan gave her a questioning look. "How does what work?"

"Applying to the academy."

"Oh," the redheaded boy nodded in understanding, "that. As far as I know it's different for every academy and since Vacuo is, uh, more _liberal_ when it comes to rules and laws and stuff, they don't ask you to formally apply but to do a few tests. I'm not sure what kinds of tests they ask you to do though."

Whatever those supposed tests were going to be, Ruby wasn't overly worried. Of course, she was hoping for anything physical, ranging from hand-to-hand combat to any other forms of fighting tests. She was confident that she would be easily successful in those sorts of tests. Since the teen never went to any school though, she wasn't entirely sure how successful she would be if there were to be any written tests. Raven did teach her a lot of the basics of any school curriculum she could think of and she knew almost all there was to know about Grimm but still- if she had to choose between physical and written tests she knew what she would pick.

As they got closer to the building the entrance became more and more visible. In a stark contrast to the almost ancient look of the academy's exterior the entrance was very modern in both its design and safety standards.

The door opened with a low hiss, allowing them both inside. Once the heat was replaced with a pleasantly cool temperature Ruby couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, making Nolan chuckle.

"Despite what everyone says, you _never_ get used to this desert's heat," he grinned at her.

Ruby glanced at him from the corner of her eyes before her attention was drawn to an information and service desk, a young woman with short blonde hair sitting behind it. Making her way quickly to the desk Ruby gained the woman's attention.

"Welcome to Shade Academy! How may I help you?"

"My name is Ruby Branwen and I wish to apply to Shade Academy."

"Of course! Do you have any identification?" The woman asked with a smile and reached her hand out once Ruby handed her scroll over.

The ID only held the barest of information on her person, just enough that Ruby wouldn't accidentally confuse anything without giving away too much. Raven saw to that.

"You are only fifteen?"

Sighing internally, Ruby looked at the woman. "Yes. Is that a problem?"

Chuckling at Ruby, the woman shook her head. "Not really, no. It's just the last time someone who wasn't at least seventeen years old got accepted was over twenty years ago."

"I am more than capable."

"That's what they all say. It's your decision though." The woman was concentrating on the screen in front of her while typing in the data from Ruby's scroll for a few moments before handing the little device back to the teenager. "There, your name's now on the applicants list. I have uploaded any information you need into your scroll. Make sure to read all of it. Applicants have their own quarters to stay in, the location can also be found on your scroll now."

"Thank you," Ruby gave the woman an awkward nod before turning away from her to check out the location of the quarters the woman mentioned.

The map of the building provided to her was more detailed than she expected and, not wanting to waste any more time, she was about to head towards there when Nolan stopped her once more. "So," he began, "did everything work out?"

"Yes," Ruby gave him a nod. "Although, apparently not many around my age who also apply here seem to be successful. But I will change that."

"You seem pretty confident."

"It comes with how I was raised," Ruby replied with a small smirk. It certainly did come with how she was raised. If Ruby hadn't developed confidence in herself and her abilities, she was sure that Raven would not have kept her around for very long. Raven always told her that the most important thing in becoming stronger was the confidence that one _could_ become stronger. If Ruby hadn't developed that mental strength her Chieftain had drilled into her then she never would be who she was now.

"Now you got me curious."

Raising an eyebrow at him, Ruby took on a perfect imitation of Raven's commanding posture. "Keep your curiosity to yourself if you know what is good for you."

"Whoa, relax!" Nolan held his hands up in a placating manner.

"Good."

Without any further words Ruby left Nolan and, with the guidance of the map in her scroll, made her way to the applicant's quarters.

On her way there she took in her new surroundings. If everything would go as she expected, this place would be her new home. For as long as she could remember, home to her were camps; simple yet comfortable. She didn't have a lot of luxury in her life, if any, but she was used to it and never felt the need for it. Maybe it was a case of 'you can't miss what you never had' but it was what she knew and what she grew up with.

But in this building, there was so much going on, so many screens, so much brightness. It was a bit of culture shock to her, even as it did have her attention; her head swivelling left and right making it obvious.

She almost hated to admit it, feeling as if she betrayed Raven and her tribe, but she couldn't deny the tingling feeling of excitement deep down in her stomach. Despite that, though, she knew that she would not do what Raven's brother did. She would not betray her family, whether she enjoyed her time here or not.

She was a Branwen after all.

* * *

Once she reached the quarters Ruby took another look at the information handed to her and saw that she had to share the room she would stay in for the time being with a number of other applicants. It also said that the rooms weren't exclusively for girls or boys; instead, it would all be mixed. There was no surprise reading that piece of information, as it was first and foremost a kind of military school. Also, back in her tribe there was neither space nor time for modesty. More than once did she take a swim in lakes, wearing nothing but her birthday-suit, other teenagers of both sexes from her tribe joining her.

Growing up in such an environment had her grow into feeling comfortable about her body and nudity in general, so the arrangement of mixed sexes in the sleeping quarters wasn't anything that bothered her in the slightest. A body was just that- a body- after all.

Looking around her she saw a few numbered rooms; not many in quantity but she assumed they were big enough to house a decent number of applicants. After a while she found the one she would stay in for the coming days and immediately opened it before entering, causing everyone inside to turn towards the door to look at the newcomer.

Ruby gave her temporary roommates a once over before greeting them with a quick nod before she looked for an unoccupied bed.

"There's one farther in the back."

Turning towards the voice, she saw a girl a bit taller than her with dark blonde hair and violet eyes, wearing a green dress. "Thank you."

Not paying further attention to her, Ruby walked towards the bed the girl mentioned.

"You aren't really talkative, are you?" The girl asked, still following Ruby.

"No," Ruby replied once she reached the bed and sat down, untying her small bag and putting it on the bed.

She didn't take much with her; only a couple more pairs of her usual clothing, a few pairs of underwear, necessary toiletries and everything needed to keep her weapon functioning. If she needed more, her mother could always use her semblance to reach her instantly.

"Oh well. The name's Dew Gayl. What's yours?"

"Ruby Branwen."

"Dew, who're you talking to? The newcomer?"

Looking up, Ruby saw another girl with dark indigo hair and olive eyes joining her and the Dew girl.

"Yes, Nebula. This is Ruby Branwen and Ruby, this is Nebula Violette."

"Great to meet ya. Say, you look kind of young..." Nebula let the sentence hang there, her question obvious.

With a slight sigh, Ruby confirmed it. "Yes, I am fifteen, but I am sure that I can still join here."

"And why do you want to join early? Why not wait a couple more years?" Dew asked her, genuinely curious, which was something Ruby really didn't enjoy.

"My reasons are my own."

"Fair enough," Nebula shrugged at her before indicating for Dew to leave Ruby alone, which the younger girl appreciated. "If you need anything don't hesitate to ask. Vacuo is a rough place and-"

Ruby chuckling made Nebula stop mid-sentence as she raised an eyebrow at her.

"Believe me, I can take care of myself just fine," Ruby smirked at the older girls with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

* * *

Settling in in her new environment was a process Ruby found both strange and exciting at the same time. It was strange because nothing she experienced in her first night at Shade Academy was even slightly similar to what she was used to from her tribe. Even sleeping in an actual bed was odd and so foreign that she had trouble finding any shut-eye.

It wasn't the first time she slept very few hours though and she could run on little sleep; maybe not call on her peak performance but it would be enough.

Still, she was more than confident that she would have no trouble whatsoever in succeeding whatever the test were going to be.

She was a Branwen after all.

As she was standing in a great hall with every other applicant as the headmistress of Shade was giving a welcoming speech, she observed her competition.

Very few of those she could see seemed threatening to her while the rest gave off a very… _average_ vibe.

Dew Gayle and Nebula Violette seemed to be very capable fighters, but she would have to see their command over their auras first, their semblances and how proficient they were with their weapons.

"Now, I am sure all of you want to know how we will determine here at Shade Academy who out of all of you is worthy to be trained here and prepared for their future careers as hunters and huntresses."

Ruby perked up as the headmistress seemed to finally be ready to address that topic.

"We change our tests every year, after all you always have to be prepared for uncertainty. Last year we took an example out of Professor Ozpin's, the headmaster of Beacon Academy, book and had our students go out into the desert, survive in pairs and find matching relics with their future teammates. This year, we will have two-on-two fights. Your partner will be determined randomly by our computer system. _If_ you succeed, which means _if_ you win your fight, you and your partner will remain as such through the next four years. After all the winners and as such, accepted applicants, are determined your team will also be randomly picked for you.

You may not always get along with your partner or other teammates, but it will be expected that you set aside any personal grievances and be professional about it. After all, as a hunter or huntress you rarely will be happy about the people you have to work with.

And now, good luck to all of you!"


	3. A New Partner, A New Team

**AN:** Hello, super besties! A new chapter for you people to read and enjoy! There were some parts I kind of struggled with but all in all it turned out okay I think. For the upcoming chapters there will be some big adventures in the desert as it will cover their first semester. After that, somewhere early second semester I think, I will have them make their trip to Beacon as by then most students of the other academies arrived there in the show.

Also, thanks for all the reviews, follows and favs. It makes me really happy to see how much you sweet little snowflakes enjoy this!

 **Dragondeathdrop:** Trust me, as exciting as it is for you to read about how this Ruby's background changes the story, it's just as exciting for me to actually _come up_ with all those changes. I mean, I have ideas here and there to change things and already have a fix idea for Ruby's role in season 5 episode 13 but that is _so_ far ahead… :o) I also am pretty certain that you have an idea what my idea is and if I think I know what you think then it is _not_ that…if all that made sense just now.

 **Tensazangitsu:** Trust me, Ruby will _not_ betray Raven throughout this story. She was raised like a Branwen, lived like a Branwen, killed like a Branwen, stole like a Branwen. Ruby _is_ a bandit, an outlaw. She lives by the Branwen creed that the weak die and the strong live. Ruby is not going to just drop all that because she made acquaintances in the academy or will have met her sister in Beacon, whatever Yang's reaction might be when that comes to pass. When I choose a personality for a character I write about I stick to it, just as when I do pairings I stick to it. I mean, sure, character development will be there but not like 'I was evil all my life, but you brought out my better nature, so now I will drop everything I ever believed in'. If you will ever read any other stories of mine, there's two thing you can be sure about: dark/evil characters stay dark, pairing A remains pairing A (no cheating or love triangles for the sake of drama).

 **ReaperStride:** Thanks, I do my best and hope you keep enjoying this!

* * *

So, it was a two-on-two battle to weed out the weak and accept only those who proved themselves to be capable. She liked that. In her tribe she had learned the importance of working with others, whether she liked it or not.

Despite living outside the law of any kingdom they set their camp in, there were 'laws'- or rules to be more accurate- that her tribe had set for itself and one of the more important ones was to always work together within the tribe.

They were bandits, yes. They robbed, killed and kidnapped, yes. They smuggled, yes. They stole, yes.

 _But_ none of those things could be done by a single person, no matter how strong and talented they were. Not even Ruby, with her semblance of speed, could do all those things by herself even as her speed would be useful and almost unstoppable when she did any of the above.

She was confident that her skill together with her semblance would be enough against most of her fellow applicants, even if she went alone against two and probably even against three. Still, she hoped that whomever she would be partnered with was at least somewhat capable and would be able to hold their own in the upcoming fight.

If they were quiet…well that would be just an added bonus.

The students-to-be were ushered out of the hall they were in by a young woman with dark hair and skin, who held herself with some authority. If Ruby had to guess she would say that woman was the deputy headmistress or someone of similar rank.

After a few moments the woman led them into a room housing what seemed to be an arena, a large display already showing a computer being busy randomizing and setting up the teams and match-ups.

"Applicants, please sit down. Once our academy's computer has finished setting you up with your partner and opponents- which should be any moment now- I will call you up by your names. The rules will be standard tournament rules. You will lose once your aura level is below the minimum limit or when you are knocked out of the arena."

Ruby crossed her arms over her chest as she casually leaned back into her seat, her eyes on the big screen in front of her busy matching up names.

After a few more short moments the final applicants had found their partner and opponents and immediately after a horn sounded, the whispers stopping and all eyes focusing on the woman standing at the arena.

"My name is Agathe Nox- Professor Nox to you- and I am the deputy headmistress of Shade Academy. As you heard, the horn sounded, which means your partner and opponents have been determined. Seek your partner out, get to know them. Visit the cafeteria, get a snack. You have one hour to find yourselves back here in this room. Those who fail to be here on time will be disqualified. You have been warned."

Ruby was surprised that, despite its reputation to be a laid-back academy, it seemed to be somewhat strict in some areas.

Getting up from her seat, Ruby made her way down towards the screen as she searched for her name.

"Hey! Ruby!"

Turning towards the voice calling out to her, she raised an eyebrow at the Dew Gayle. "Yes?"

"Looks like we are going to be partners." Dew gave the younger girl a small smirk.

"Very well. I hope you can hold yourself in a fight."

Dew couldn't help but laugh at that. "Don't you worry, kid. Let's go grab something to eat."

* * *

They were sitting across from each other, Ruby taking a bite out of her sandwich while Dew was munching on peanuts.

"So, tell me a bit about yourself, Ruby."

Leaning back against her chair, the young girl cocked her head slightly to the side, giving Dew a questioning look. "Like what?"

"Where are you from? What about your family? How do you fight?"

"Anima, my family is a very private matter, I use a short-bladed katana."

Dew raised both eyebrows at Ruby's answer before letting out a sigh. "Geez, it's like pulling teeth with you. Look, I get that you don't talk much or whatever, but I want to actually get into the academy and the way I see it…well, good communication is the most important thing for a functioning partnership, you know?"

" _Fine_ ," Ruby rolled her eyes before shifting slightly in her chair as she pulled out her katana from its sheath resting on her hip. "I won't answer anything I don't want to, including questions about my family."

"Fair enough."

"Good. This is my weapon, _Mist Thorn_. It doesn't transform, but it has a slot for dust usage."

"Which makes us both mainly melee fighters. What's your semblance?"

"Speed. I am fast. _Really_ fast."

"I think we can work with that…"

"What's your weapon of choice?" Ruby asked her partner, feeling it was her turn to be nosy.

Dew reached into the sarong around her hips and, with a flick of her wrist, what seemed like several segments of a weapon, clicked and locked onto each other, forming a spear. " _This_ is _Cutting_ _Tempest_. I use wind-dust crystals to create tornadoes with it."

"Impressive." Ruby put her katana back into its sheath as she gave Dew's spear another once-over. It was mainly gold in colour, with the grip in its middle the only exception as it was dark blue. "What about your semblance?"

"I can return projectiles back to the attacker with several times of its original power and speed. I can also channel my semblance into _Tempest_ and use it as a bat, so to speak."

" _Very_ impressive. You might be able to hold your own in battle yet." Ruby smirked at Dew.

"You really are cocky, you know that?"

"I can afford to be."

Crossing one leg over the other, Dew leaned forward, her elbow resting on the table and her chin prepped up in the palm of her hand as her gaze fixated onto her partner. "You are an interesting kid."

"You are two years older than me. That hardly qualifies you to call me 'kid'."

"Two years are still two years though, aren't they? Anyways, let's head back, we've only got ten minutes left."

"Very well then."

Ruby got up from her chair, her hand resting on her sheathed weapon, relishing on the comfort of feeling it against her hip and her palm.

While she did pride herself on her stoic demeanour and very rational and opportunistic outlook to the world, weapons were her one and only guilty pleasure. She was always fascinated by the creativity and work put into tools to hurt or even kill other beings- may they be Grimm or humans or faunus.

Both her partner and she arrived back at arena room. Ruby had to wonder if this room was created for the sole purpose of today or if it actually was a classroom.

Either way, it was the place where she would defeat any opponent trying to come between her and her goal; that much she was sure of.

* * *

The first fight was over surprisingly quick. Both teams were all male but one team had the obviously superior talent compared to the other.

It was interesting to see what her fellow applicants had in store, although she had to admit that a feeling of slight disappointment was creeping in as she continued to follow the fights. A lot of her competition was, as she first suspected, very average and some even below that. So far, the only one slightly impressing her was a Brawnz Ni paired with a Roy Stallion, both seemingly adept fighters with Branwnz particularly catching her eye as he quickly tore into his opponents with his hand-to-hand combat style.

For a while the fight seemed to reach a stalemate until Roy fired his circular saw-blades, forcing their opponents to dodge and giving both him and Brawnz the opening to finish them off.

"They were impressive," Dew mused, her eyes never leaving the arena as the next group of applicants were getting ready to face off.

"At least they weren't as disappointing as the rest we've seen so far," Ruby commented offhandedly. "I really was expecting more."

"What do you mean?"

"This is supposed be an academy preparing teenagers to defend Remnant from creatures of Grimm, is it not? From what I've seen so far, even those who have won their matchups would struggle against anything beyond a juvenile Beowolf."

"And you wouldn't?" Dew raised an eyebrow at her partner.

"A glare from me would be more than enough to crush even the fiercest Grimm you could imagine," Ruby replied, a small smile toying at the corner of her lips.

It wasn't like she was lying either. When Raven told her about what her silver eyes really were, Ruby couldn't and wouldn't believe it. But then, there was the story about the four maidens. There was the fact that Raven herself was one of them after she offered the former spring maiden the mercy of death to free her from her responsibilities. That maiden was weak and would not have lasted long, after all. Ruby knew that having her mother own that kind of power instead of that weak girl who owned it before was the most responsible way to go.

But all those things, all those outlandish magical things were right before her very own eyes. They existed. Why not have her eyes be what Raven said they were?

So, she trained even more than she already did, but not with weapons, not with fists.

No, Raven went out with her into Grimm-infested forests and had her face them without a sword. Of course, Ruby could have run using her semblance but what would that have accomplished? She would have done nothing but proven that she was weak, and she didn't want to be weak. The time when Raven had started the training with her eyes was when Ruby had finally started to improve with her fighting. It would have been a step backwards if she had run away so she stood her ground.

But she was scared.

" _Stop focusing on your emotions, Ruby! Focus on what you wield as your weapon! Focus on what you want to do with your weapon!_ "

Her eyes were her weapons. She wanted those Grimm gone.

She remembered a brilliant white flash in the depth of her mind, a splitting headache and a bleeding nose.

Raven had to carry her back to the camp as she was pale, shivering and not fully there. Once she was rested she was told that the Grimm were still very alive but even that small flash she managed was enough to partially freeze them were they stood. According to Raven her power was supposed to actually _destroy_ them but for a first time use it wasn't bad.

" _I actually didn't expect anything out of that trip, but you surprised me, little gem. Maybe we'll make a proper Branwen out of you yet._ "

* * *

"Ruby Branwen and Dew Gayle versus Coby Cerulio and Nova Gray."

"Finally," Ruby muttered under her breath, having started to become bored watching weaklings after weaklings pretending to fight.

Dew on the other hand seemed somewhat nervous which surprised the young Branwen if she was completely honest. From what her partner had told her she shouldn't need to worry. Even if she was far away from mastering her skillset it should still be enough breeze through this trial.

Once they reached their 'battleground' Ruby took stock of their opposition. Coby, from what she could make out at first glance, seemed to be a brawler if his pair of thick brass knuckles were any indicator. She wondered if that really was all he had but she probably wouldn't find out today.

Nova Gray on the other hand had a whip at the ready and if she was in any way adept of using it then she could turn out to be a bit of a problem but still, Ruby didn't worry too much.

Hearing her partner take a calming breath, Ruby refrained herself from rolling her eyes, instead focused herself to the task at hand.

"Are both teams ready?"

The four applicants nodded at Professor Nox' question.

"Then your test starts…now!"

Coby didn't waste a moment to engage Ruby who activated her semblance leaving nothing but rose petals behind as she dodged him before sweeping his legs from under him with a semblance powered kick, giving Dew the chance to smash the length of her spear into his stomach, winding him.

Ruby turned her attention to Nova, the girl frozen and wide-eyed, shocked at how quickly her strong looking partner was taken out by a petite girl.

Once again using the speed of her semblance to power her attacks, Ruby drove a foot into her opponent's stomach, sending her flying out of the arena.

To her surprise, though, Nova managed to fling her whip at her, catching her ankle. A gust of wind slowed her flying with the momentum of her opponent and she used that time to draw her katana, using it as an anchor.

Nova, having somewhat recuperated mid-flight, got back to her feet, wincing slightly after her stomach felt sore because of the kick it received mere moments ago.

Ruby, getting back to her feet herself, gave Nova another once-over before sheathing her katana, a small smirk appearing on her features. " _Tch_. That was a neat little trick, you caught me by surprise."

Behind her she could hear Dew fighting with Coby but she was sure that the gust of wind came from her partner. Albeit reluctantly, Ruby had to admit to herself that she would have to thank Dew later for that. It would have been embarrassing if she would have been knocked out by something like that.

Her opponent now looked determined and the frozen girl from before was gone. Her hand resting on her katana's hilt, Ruby dashed forward, Nova's whip cracking as it lashed out to her. Dodging it wasn't hard but when Nova tracked it back was when it became a bit more complicated.

From the way Nova seemed to be able to control the whip Ruby assumed that it had some sort of mechanic wrapped inside of its leather covering. Whenever the whip coiled back, Ruby was barely able to dodge without her semblance, but she also didn't want to overuse it.

Still, she had a fight to win.

She had an academy to attend to.

She had a tribe to honour.

"Enough of this," the young Branwen muttered under her breath as she activated her semblance for a last time in this fight.

Nova quickly lost sight of her opponent, the brief moment of increasing confidence washed away as the firm hilt of Ruby's katana struck her in the back of her head, knocking her out cold.

Ruby, sheathing her _Mist Thorn_ once more, turned around to see her partner gracefully wielding her spear as she dodged and deflected powerful blows from her opponent.

After dodging another blow, Dew swiped her spear low across the ground, hitting his legs and making him lose his footing before bringing his aura level below the limit with a painful blow against his stomach, using the blunt end of her spear.

"And the winners are Ruby Branwen and Dew Gayle. Congratulations, girls. You are now officially students of Shade Academy."

"We…I…oh!" Dew was at a loss for words, unbelieving that they actually did it.

Ruby on the other hand just gave a courteous nod of acknowledgement, not having expected anything else.

Of course they succeeded. They were both capable fighters and, most importantly, she- Ruby Branwen- was part of the team.

Failure was not an option.

"Next up: Nebula Violette and Gwen Darcy…"

Ruby tuned the rest out as she returned to her seat with Dew still beaming next to her. "Are you really that surprised? I, for one, didn't expect anything less. I am even hardly winded after that fight."

Dew raised an eyebrow at her. "Really? I thought they were pretty good. Not as good as you or me, obviously, but still…"

"They were okay but there's almost no one who can keep up with my semblance, so I suppose I do have it easier than most."

"Almost no one? Who _is_ able to keep up with you? When you used it, I didn't even see you… it just looked like you disappeared and reappeared…"

With a soft sigh, Ruby first glanced up then turned her head back to look at Dew. "I suppose I can tell you this much…my mother trained me and she is an exceptional fighter. The best I know and I know a lot. That is all I will say."

"You said more than enough, to be honest. If you take even a bit after your mum, then she has got to be one scary lady."

Chuckling, Ruby couldn't help the fond smile slowly appearing. "I wouldn't say 'lady', but she is scary, yes."

Ruby was sure that Raven would whack her over the head for underestimating Nova Gray the way she did, allowing her opponent even the slightest advantage, but she would still be pleased that Ruby overcame that needless, albeit small, obstacle and successfully got into Shade Academy.

* * *

"I can't believe we are in a team!"

Ruby watched from a few steps away as Dew and Nebula hugged their successful application to Shade Academy out and, as luck would have it, they were randomly thrown together into a team. From what she gathered, those two must have known each other for a while, probably even grown up together.

And now, Nebula, Dew, Gwen and she made up the newly formed Team NDGR, pronounced _Indigo_. It sounded neat enough, even though the _R_ representing _her_ didn't play a role in the pronunciation, but it didn't really matter to her.

Nebula was chosen as the team leader and it made sense to Ruby. When watching the fight, Nebula was obviously giving commands and she had a good aura about her, an aura of command and authority, although it was in no way even close to comparable to what her mother emitted.

Still, Ruby didn't want to sell Nebula's qualities of leadership short before she would even have the chance to experience it hands-on.

She was sure the girl would be capable enough in her own ways.

For now, though, she would just silently bask in the excitement of her success and the future awaiting her.


	4. Sparring And A Meeting

**AN:** Hi, people. Sorry about that big delay but my life's kind of a mess right now. I'm having severe financial problems and barely make it through a month while trying to do well in university. It's a struggle. But don't worry, I'm not abandoning anything. Even if I don't update in months, don't worry. I intent to finish all my stories.

 **KHARAKI TAKAN:** Oh, they will be caught in it. Like in the show, Raven wanted to stay out but still got dragged in and it will be no different in this story. I mean, it will be different, obviously, but…you know what I'm trying to say, lol. And, yeah, I don't want to be disrespectful but sometimes that drama part is just unbelievably lazy writing in my eyes. Obviously, when I first started writing, I wasn't better there but I grew out of it thankfully.

 **Earth Dragon Arnite:** First of all, thanks for reviewing every chapter! Your Ch.1 review: that's kinda what I'm going for with this Ruby, a fighting style similar to Adam's. I loved him in the Black trailer but, as we all know, he unfortunately is a dick. Still, his fighting style is awesome and I'm going for something similar with this Ruby. Your Ch.3 review: Well, I like to think that Raven is not someone to beat around the bush here. I like to imagine that she sees Ruby as a key protagonist in the coming war, even if she wants to stay out of it. Also, she knows about Ozpin, that he would likely try to do the same with Ruby as I believe he did with Summer, because of her eyes, namely train them and manipulate them into fighting his war for him. So, Raven tries to put all the cards on the table and make it clear to Ruby that it's not her war to fight. Also, who would you trust more: someone who is upfront or someone who sees you as a chess piece and moves you how they need it? As for the team name, yeah, I tried different things but I wanted to keep using the first letter of their first names and wanted to have Nebula, Dew and Gwen in the team. So, I think NDGR is kind of the best option even if it's not the optimal one.

* * *

Ruby's first week as a huntress in training was a bit anticlimactic if she was being honest. There wasn't a lot of action to be experienced, no Grimm to be fought, no sparring to be had. It was nothing but going from class to class and then to yet another class.

On top of that, she did have her monthlies, which fortunately passed just the day before but _now_ she craved Perid's company…it had been a while after all.

All in all, she was more frustrated than anything else and it showed.

"Hey Partner, what's up with you? You seem off for a few days now."

They currently were in the cafeteria of the academy, eating- or at least her teammates were. Ruby had her head resting in the palm of her hand while her elbow was prepped up on the table as she poked around her food with a fork in her free hand.

Glancing sideways at Dew, Ruby decided to just be straightforward. "I'm bored and frustrated."

"Why?" Their leader, Nebula Violette, joined their conversation and her partner, Gwen Darcy, looked curious as well.

Heaving a sigh, Ruby's dropped fork clattered on her plate as she leaned back against her chair. "I know almost everything about Grimm there is to know, with the exception of some native to Vacuo. I haven't had a fight- or at least a good fight- in ages and I crave some…company."

While usually Ruby didn't do much talking in the beginning and mostly kept to herself, her teammates made her promise after not even the first day, that she opened up more to her team. While Ruby didn't understand what her being more open had to do with anything, Nebula _did_ threaten that if Ruby felt bad or sick or anything else that could threaten the team's performance in the academy or elsewhere and decided to not notify the team or wasn't honest when asked, that she would complain about that to the headmistress.

" _I'd rather have someone new replace a bad teammate than have to deal with a bad teammate so get your act together because honestly, I'd hate to have a good fighter like you being replaced._ "

Ruby had to admit, she admired Nebula's straightforward, no-nonsense-attitude.

Ruby also had to admit that she did not want to return to her tribe early because of her attitude. Vernal would never let her live that down and her mother would be beyond cross with her.

"Why do you crave company? You have us," Gwen smiled kindly at her.

"Not that kind of company, Gwen. I meant male company…of the naked kind." Ruby looked at the dark-haired girl blushing furiously, the Branwen's eyes full of mischief while there was sudden violent coughing next to her at the same time.

"Well, uh, we can't help you with male company…" Nebula tried to still be serious and play down the fact that one of her teammates was distracted because she was…horny.

"You are only fifteen years old!" Dew exclaimed, her eyes teary and face red after she choked on her water.

Ruby looked at Dew with a bewildered expression. "And?"

"It's…early!"

"Are we seriously-"

"Ladies, please!"

Both Ruby and her partner looked at their leader who pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance.

"I seriously couldn't care less when people have their first times…at least as long as it is legal, so, please leave this matter alone. Ruby can decide for herself when and with whom she does whatever she does."

Dew looked disappointed that she wasn't being backed up by her best friend, but only for a moment, before she threw her hands up in defeat. " _Fine_."

"…thank you, Nebula."

The indigo-haired leader gave Ruby a quick nod before returning to the matter of hand. "So…your other problems…that you are bored in class, well we can't help you there either. _But_ I am sure that one of us would be willing to spar with you and it might even help you take off the edge of your, uh…other particular problem."

"Did I hear something about sparring?"

Four heads turned simultaneously at the voice and once Ruby saw the person it belonged to, she gave a quick nod. "Nolan."

"Ruby."

"You two know each other?" Dew asked after observing them greeting each other.

"Yes," the Branwen confirmed, "he was the first acquaintance I made in Vacuo when I arrived. And yes," Ruby turned her attention back to Nolan, "I was getting bored since fighting class won't start for another two weeks so I think my team offered to spar with me."

"How about me?" Nolan offered. "I'm getting bored myself and I've been curious about what you can do when you are serious."

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, you only used your weapon in initiation to knock that girl out in the end. You didn't give it your all."

Ruby smirked at that; he wasn't _that_ wrong after all. "How about your entire team against me?"

"Now you are just being cocky." Nolan laughed it off but faltered as Ruby's expression didn't show even a hint of a joke behind her question. "You are being serious."

"I am."

Nolan didn't say anything for a moment before turning to his teammates who all looked confused and even a bit offended. "What do you guys say?"

Dew eyed Nolan's team while they debated if they should take on Ruby's challenge, her eyes taking in every inch they could of team BRNZ' leader. She quickly averted her gaze though when she saw the small twitch of his lips and the barely noticeable way he glanced at her. He knew she was staring and didn't seem to mind one bit.

"Alright, Ruby. Your challenge is on."

"Good. I think we have another class in a few minutes but after that I am free. Let me give you my scroll contact, so you can call me when you and your team are free to spar." Ruby held out her scroll as did Nolan and a second later both devices let out a beep of confirmation that both contacts were exchanged.

"You can always back out, you know," Nolan smirked at her.

Ruby, however, was unfazed. "And here I was just about to offer the same out to you."

Chuckling at her, the redhead squeezed her shoulder when he and his team finally made their way out of the cafeteria. "See ya later, Ruby."

Ruby just raised an eyebrow at him touching her with such familiarity before shaking her head. She then turned back to her own team. "So, which class is next?"

* * *

The desert sun was slowly starting to set when Ruby arrived at the combat classroom with the small training arena of Shade Academy. She was keeping a small bit of distance between herself and her team, as she usually did, and was thankful that it didn't seem to bother the three other girls as they had yet to make a remark about it.

Once inside, Ruby quickly caught sight of her opponents. She was excited to see just how well she would deal against four well trained fighters all by herself. Even through all of her arrogance- and she was well aware she _was_ arrogant- she knew that it was unlikely she would come out as the victor in this sparring match.

Three of her opponents were physically stronger than her. Of course, she had her speed and years of training under her mother, many real fights under life-and-death circumstances, kills under her belt though none of those things were important here.

 _No one battle is ever comparable to any battles you had before, Ruby. No one opponent is ever the same. Treat every battle as a first. Analyse your opponents. Learn their weaknesses. Use their weaknesses against them. Know your strengths and limits. If you think you will easily win a battle because you fought a sword wielder once before then you are already dead._

Her mother never was one to beat around the bush. She was a blunt woman; strict and direct. But those lessons of hers were what gave Ruby her confidence in the first place.

The young Branwen had to admit one thing though: aside from team BRNZ' leader and his partner she had no clue about what the rest of the team was capable of, not even Nolan.

Feeling several pairs of eyes on her, Ruby made her way down to the arena. "So," she began, her hand resting on the hilt of her katana, "are you ready?"

" _We_ should be the ones to ask _you_ that question, kid." Brawnz Ni, the leader of her opponents, had his arms crossed as he eyed her with a good-natured smile.

Ruby, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes at being called 'kid'. "I say, we should begin. Same rules as in the initiation."

Brawnz shot a quick glance at his teammates who all just shrugged. "Alright. Do you want someone to referee?"

"I can do that," Nebula offered.

Giving her captain a quick nod, Ruby stepped into the ring with team BRNZ following her.

"Everyone ready? Alright then…fight!"

Having quickly taken a look at the weapons of her opponents before her team captain gave them the go, Ruby wasted no time to dash at the sole girl in team BRNZ, using her semblance. Once in front of the girl, Ruby drew and slashed with her _Mist Thorn_ in one smooth motion at her opponent, the girl's reflexes barely enough to block the attack with her sniper rifle, the force still knocking her to the edge of the arena.

"May!" Nolan's eyes were wide at seeing his partner overpowered so quickly but it also was to be expected as she was good in a lot of things but close combat not being one of those.

He quickly engaged Ruby with his cattle prod, the sparks making it clear that he used it like a taser. Ruby blocked the attack with her katana before dodging a flying, circular saw, shot at her from Roy Stallion.

Him, she remembered from initiation; a capable opponent.

It was then that Brawnz engaged her, his weapon being claws and armoured knees. Ruby was barely able to keep up, dodging and blocking three opponents at once before she finally felt her aura flare as it blocked the damage from one of Brawnz' clawed fists but doing nothing to stop her from feeling the pain.

Activating her semblance, she quickly disengaged the from her opponents, sheathing her katana and taking a quick breather. "That was intense."

"I'm impressed you were able to keep up for so long," Roy commented.

"I trained my semblance for many years now which made me capable to keep up with a lot of things; rapidly being attacked by several opponents being one of them. Being fast does not stop the world from blurring, so my eyes and other senses had to adapt to my speed, otherwise my semblance would be useless to me."

"As I said: impressive."

Ruby gave him a small smirk in return before she dodged a dust bullet aimed at her. She let out a chuckle as she eyed a glaring sniper taking aim at her. "Shoot the enemy while they are not paying attention. I like that."

Activating her semblance again, she once more charged at the girl but had to dodge mid-air, lest she would have taken a nasty hit from Roy's saws.

Ruby could tell that team BRNZ already had an impressive synergy going; not once were the boys in each other's ways when focusing on her, a single target, and whenever the young Branwen managed to give herself some air to breath she had to dodge the sniper. BRNZ also managed to prevent her from taking out the girl. They may not be able to keep up with her speed, but they didn't have to as Roy's aim and timing with his saws was deadly.

The fight continued for another few minutes until Nebula finally called its end. "Team BRNZ wins. Ruby's aura is below its limit."

"And here I had hoped to at least take one of you out."

"You definitely made us work for it, Ruby," Nolan said as he gave her light punch on the shoulder, grinning good naturedly.

"I should hope so."

"You didn't even expect to win?" The girl asked Ruby, looking surprised as she did so. "I'm May Zedong by the way, I don't think we've been introduced."

"Ruby Branwen. Of course I didn't expect to win. In a one-on-one I am certain I could best almost everyone in this school, if not actually _everyone_. But a four-on-one is almost impossible. A semblance can carry someone only so far and I still have a lot to learn myself."

"Who are you and what did you do with Ruby? Never in her life would she be so humble," Dew joked as she joined the group, followed by the rest of NDGR.

"She just said she could beat everyone in the academy. How's that humble?" Brawnz asked.

"But she also said that she still had a lot to learn. That's humble for her."

"You do realize I'm still here, right?"

* * *

Qrow Branwen once again found himself in a shady pub- this time in Mistral. When his best friend and youth crush Summer Rose died, those kinds of locations became a second home to him. Or probably only home. He could not remember when the last time he slept two nights in a row in the same location was.

After ordering his drink he made his way into the back and found himself a table in a nice, dark corner.

Rummaging in his dress pants' pocket he pulls out a banged-up pack of cigarettes before lighting one.

"You should really drop that habit, or you might die early."

Glancing to where that voice was coming from, he scoffed before taking a deep drag. "Might be relief, actually."

Raven sat down across from her twin brother, her face impassive as she took in his sight. It was a disgrace to the tribe and he should not be carrying the Branwen name but there was nothing she could do.

If Qrow was any other former member of their tribe she would have killed him without hesitation but, alas, she did not want to be branded a kin-slayer.

And, as much as she hated to admit it, she did not actively _hate_ her brother. She was disappointed in him, yes, maybe even ashamed of him but she did not hate him.

"Why did you contact me?"

Qrow, after taking another deep drag, gave her a humourless smirk. "What, can't a man ask how his sister is doing?"

The tribe chief kept her impassive posture and expression on, not allowing herself to be baited by her sibling. She leaned back in her chair before crossing one leg over the other, not saying a word.

"Such a joy reminiscing about the past with you…anyways, I heard some interesting things from one of my contacts in Shade Academy."

"You have contacts now? Ozpin must be proud."

"Apparently they got a new student…first in quite a while to successfully apply at only fifteen years old…has a very unique eye colour."

"And what does any of that have to do with me?"

Qrow leaned forward on the table, the cigarette between his fingers burning, the smoke creating a veil between him and Raven. "What really caught my attention was the name under which she applied. Ruby Branwen."

Raven sighed. Deep down she knew that there was a chance this would happen. Back when they were still a team- Summer, Tai, Qrow and she- Ozpin had told them about the powerful relics, had told them that each Academy hid a relic. Of course the headmasters and -mistresses would be in contact and of course, when one their students had silver eyes it would catch their attention. Unfortunately her brother had to still work for Ozpin and her little gem had to have silver eyes.

Her brother's voice lowered menacingly as he continued. "Did you really think that we just gave up on her? That _I_ would just give up? If there's one good thing coming out from working for Ozpin then it is that a lot of people all over Remnant owe me. Shade's headmistress included."

Raven scoffed at that. "And you asked for information on your lost niece?"

"I actually care about family."

"If you really did you would not have betrayed yours."

"Happens when your 'family' happens to be a group of bandits and murderers. Now tell me," Qrow went on before Raven could retort, "what happened to Ruby? When did you take her, _why_ did you take her?"

"What makes you think that I will tell you anything, Qrow?"

"She is my niece."

"And my daughter. I raised her as my own, as a _Branwen_ , as befits her destiny. She will finish her education in a huntsman academy and return to her tribe. Unlike you." Getting up from her seat, Raven gazed down at her brother. "I suggest you do not contact her and you keep her whereabouts to yourself. She _will_ tell me if anything is amiss. But if you do there will be consequences, Qrow. Stay away from Ruby."

"So, you raise someone else's child as your daughter but not your own?" Qrow couldn't help that scathing remark but Raven remained untouched.

"You know what the circumstances were."

With that, she opened a portal and left.


	5. Into The Desert

**AN:** Hello everyone! Once again, sorry for the lack of updates. Real life is still so stressful and I barely have time to get any writing done. Here is however an update for you guys and I hope you enjoy it, nothing much else to say, aside from a few questions: I seem to have not pointed out any warning to this story, but since it is rated M I am sure some of you went in with expecting mature themes here. Still, I feel obligated to ask how your guys stances are on sexual themes? I have made it obvious that Ruby is sexually active and in a sexually casual relationship with a boy from her tribe. Do you guys want to see smut? I personally have no problems whatsoever writing anything of that category. Of course, I won't turn this into a porn story, so no worries there, but hey, Ruby is a hormonal teenager as we all were at some point, attending a school with lots of strong, fit and handsome boys. If you guys are okay with it, I might add a couple or so scenes here and there.

Second question is regarding romance. I still have no clue if I want Ruby to have a romantic relationship or if I want her to be casual like she is so far when it comes to stuff like that. What do you guys think? I mean, ultimately, I would stick to what I would personally prefer when I reach that point but to get an idea of the general consensus would be nice. Let me know!

Also, was Volume 6 the best RWBY Volume so far, or what? (Don't spoil stuff for those who haven't seen the Volume yet, guys.)

 **Earth Dragon Arnighte:** Not gonna lie, Drunkle Qrow always seemed like a smoker to me. I was always disappointed to have never seen him smoke. It just fits him in my opinion. As for Perid, he is kind of a friend with benefits from the tribe for Ruby. Not important enough as of now and I don't know if he ever will be, I just used him to make it clear that this Ruby does know that puberty and hormones exist.

 **ManticoreBlues:** Well, as you might have gathered with this very late update, I unfortunately can't effort to have a fix update schedule. I simply cannot guarantee if I would ever be able to keep such a schedule.

 **Masane:** Thank you, it means a lot that you enjoy my Ruby's and Raven's characterizations so much! Yeah, out of every member in NDGO I was only really disappointed by Octavia's design and performance at the tournament tbh. She was really easy to replace for me.

* * *

The early morning was hot but then again, that was always the case in Vacuo. After two months Ruby was growing more and more accustomed to the heat of the desert. Granted, so far the new recruits hadn't spent any lengthy period of time outside of the academy if it wasn't on their own will since the professors had yet to take them outside on hunts or any trips in general.

Ruby woke up with a yawn, stretching like a cat and letting out a satisfied moan as a series of pops ran down her back. Her long hair was sticking wetly to her neck as she got up and moved to the bathroom, ready to start her morning routine. Taking off her shirt she dropped it into the laundry hamper before her hand touched the scars she received from a beowolf- a by now subconscious habit- when she was still a child; a constant reminder of how she ended up with Raven in the first place.

Before stepping into the shower, she took a razor from her toiletry bag. Who said a member of a bandit tribe could not want to feel clean and pretty?

* * *

Classes were still things she struggled with regularly. It wasn't even because she particularly disliked studying or theoretical work in general; she simply struggled for no other reason than preferring a hands-on approach. Sitting down and thinking about things was not really her style.

She knew she probably would not ever make a particularly outstanding leader and she was glad that for her team it was Nebula who had to bear that burden. Sure, Ruby could probably motivate people by _doing_ instead of showing patience and thinking things through first but when working with others it simply did not work that way. That was also the reason why her mother and Vernal were still reluctant to let her be in charge for once during a raid and, while she was arrogant without a doubt, she was still not arrogant enough to _not_ understand where they were coming from.

It was a frustrating thing, without a doubt, this one big flaw of hers she seemingly could not get rid of.

But it was finally time for a class to take place outside and Ruby showed more excitement than she had in the past months since she started attending Shade Academy. The group of first semester students were all huddled together in an airship that would take them to the borders of Shade's grounds, a place where supposedly a large group of weaker Grimm native to Vacuo were to be found which they were supposed to kill. Apparently, the nest had been around forever and no matter how many classes every year exterminated it, within the year it would always be occupied again. It was both convenient and inconvenient. The academy decided decades ago to let the nest be, so the coming classes could always have these weak Grimm to exterminate as their first outdoor class at Shade while still monitoring it closely.

"Now class," their Grimm Defence class professor, an elder man by the name of Vector Heize, began, "which of you remembers the last Grimm we talked about during class? Miss Branwen, how about you?"

Ruby sighed, annoyed that class continued even during a flight with an airship. "The Gila, professor."

"Correct! And do you remember any characteristics about the Gila you want to share with us?"

"They are slow and attack from below ground. They don't have lots of protection unlike a Deathstalker for example, but they can swallow a fully grown human in one bite."

"Very good, Miss Branwen! No matter how big or small a Grimm is, never underestimate them. Gilas aren't particularly small to begin with, the biggest recorded was about 8,2 feet in length from head to tail and 3,3 feet in shoulder height. They are not ferocious attackers but deadly ambush hunters. When you don't know that one is close by and they get the jump on you, you are already dead."

Ruby turned her attention back to the window she was sitting next to, staring outside. There was nothing but sand as far as she could see, and she wondered why Shade Academy was built so…out there, so far away from everything.

"You excited?" Dew asked her with a grin of her own.

Ruby glanced at her partner sideways before giving a slight nod. "As a matter of fact, I kind of am. I hope there will be a few Grimm for each of us, otherwise it would probably be over too quickly."

The flight took another few minutes before the airship slowly started its descent. Once on firm ground, the group of students made their way outside into the scorching desert sun, Ruby glad that she opted for traditional Vacuan desert garbs consisting of a light and wide fitting, colourful white and red dress with light leggings underneath, long and light socks and comfortable sandals. Hear head was covered in the traditional Vacuan headwear worn by the desert dwelling folk, especially the women, to prevent the sun from beating down on her. As her boots were too heavy for the soft desert sand and the few times she went outside the academy in them she hated walking in the sand. These sandals however gave her just the light feet and freedom of movement she needed in the sand for her fighting style.

The fact that she looked gorgeous in these clothes was just a bonus, if she may say so herself.

"Look at you, Ruby! Looking like a true, Vacuan desert dwelling lady."

Ruby looked behind her and could not help the small smile that broke out of her face. These past couple of months she could not deny that she warmed up to this group of people she got to know; her own team members and team BRNZ with Nolan in particular.

"I hope that's a good thing," she countered as she and her team waited for the three boys and their sole female member to join them.

Once the eight of them all greeted each other they followed the rest of the student body, who were led into vast sandy dunes. However, as Nebula pointed out, the Vacuan government made it a point to place markers all over the desert to either warn from Grimm hotspots or to highlight the safest trading routes.

Maybe someday, when her tribe would have to relocate away from Anima, she could point them to Sanus. Her by now trained eyes were already picking out potential ambush positions as she glanced left and right.

Their professor droned on and on about the natural dangers the desert of Vacuo could have on an unprepared huntsman and huntress, as they had all been given a list of essentials they were to bring with them. The academy had provided them with bags they could use on days certain classes would be held outdoors and Ruby was glad they did as the small bag she brought from her tribe to the academy on that first day was definitely too small for all the water bottles she brought with her, one of them already in her hand and half empty. She was about to take another sip from her bottle before Nolan put a hand on hers, stopping her and making her look up at him questioningly. These past months she even became accustomed to his touchy-feely ways and didn't get _that_ annoyed at him anymore whenever he touched her.

"Don't drink in sips but in swallows when you need water. If you just take sips your vital organs may not get the water they need."

"Oh. Okay, thank you."

"Very good, Mr. Porfirio," their professor called out, having heard his tip for her. "I take it you are have no experience to lengthy exposure to the desert, Ms. Branwen?"

"No, Professor. I've lived all my life in Anima and this is a first for me."

"Mhm, then you better listen to your friends! I already approve of your choice of clothing."

"Dew showed me some shops around campus and made me buy them."

"A good choice," the Professor continued from his position ahead of them. "These types of garbs and headwear are one of the reasons why our Vacuan desert dwellers have survived all these centuries. They are a very simple yet practical way to protect oneself from the sun. Some may think that less clothing protects someone from heat, but that is not true in the desert. Any exposed skin, Ms. Rose, just encourages perspiration and perspiration means lost fluids for the body which is a deadly thing to happen out here and out here nature is just as formidable a foe as any Grimm one may encounter."

xxx

After a good amount of walking through the dunes and following the signs put out by the Vacuan governing bodies, the students and their professor arrived what seemed to be rocky formations.

"We've arrived, dear students. Stay together and watch out for each other. We have yet to lose a student out here and I would like to keep it so."

"What exactly are we supposed to do, Professor?" One of the students asked as Ruby kept a hand on the hilt of her katana while her eyes were trained on the ground.

"Exterminate the nest and don't get eaten."

Ruby chuckled at that but that chuckle vanished as soon as it came as she saw sand pebbles vibrate and deform under Nolan's feet, which he didn't seem to realize. "Nolan. Below you."

The redhead glanced at her before looking down and not a moment too soon did he dash away as a wide, pitch black maw shot out and snapped shut. Ruby dashed towards it with her semblance and drew her weapon in a sharp arc, cutting through the Grimm easily.

Giving Nolan a cocky grin, Ruby sheathed her weapon again before jumping up with her semblance once more, this time a maw breaking through the sand for her.

The students quickly dove into the fights, itching to slay Grimm for a while now after having been confined into the security of the academy for so long.

There was no fear or panic amongst the student body as Grimm after Grimm were slain. Ruby's hopes that there would be enough Grimm for everyone certainly were fulfilled as their Professor was fighting with them, giving them tips throughout the skirmish.

With all the first semester students it took them the better part of a couple of hours until there were no more Gila trying to ambush them from below.

There were slaps on shoulders being exchanged and stories about particularly exciting moves being shared, making Ruby roll her eyes at her fellow students.

" _Tch_ , they act like they just saved the whole of Remnant or something," she muttered under her breath but not low enough for her team leader to miss it.

"Didn't you have fun? I know I did."

"It was fun, don't get me wrong," Ruby admitted as she sat down on the sand and drank from her water, prompting the rest of NDGR to do the same, "but I don't see the point in making a bigger deal out of this than it was. Those Grimm were weak."

"Maybe, but it was still a good workout. Just enjoy the fact that we got to do this."

"Eh," Ruby shrugged but didn't comment any further. She knew she was used to other things, to harsher training, to actual life and death situations. She knew her teammates didn't grow up like she did, or maybe not _exactly_ like she did, after all most of the students here were Vacuo natives and Vacuo was infamous for its mostly lawless state. There were bound to be some who had to have lived somewhat harsh lives, so she wasn't going to judge her fellow huntsmen- and huntresses-in-training there. But then again, if that was the case then it made the way they were acting now even more annoying.

"Where is Mr. Hansa?" Their Professor asked a group of three, huddled together. Ruby and her team were sitting close by and turned to watch the exchange, curious as they were.

"He said he had t-"

The explanation was cut short when the ground suddenly rumbled below them, nervous chatter setting in.

Ruby's survival instinct activated immediately, and she knew this was not a fight they should take. If a Grimm- and she was sure it was a Grimm- could make the ground shake like this then it was bound to be gigantic and who knew how many more Gilas were lurking below them? Did they actually kill them all?

"Students! Move back to the ship, just follow the signs as we did when we came here! Stay together!" The Professor then turned to Ruby, almost apologetically and she knew she would hate this. "Ms. Branwen, I hate to do this but I will need your semblance in case Mr. Hansa is still out there."

" _Fine_ …" If she refused to help a fellow student she was pretty sure she'd be expelled, no questions asked. At times like these, she _hated_ her semblance.

Following the Professor as he headed down the path Hansa's teammates pointed at, they made their way along some rock formations, scarred by time and sand. "What an idiot," Ruby muttered to herself, not bothering to care if her professor heard her or not, "who knows what's lurking down here…"

After a few moments they heard some whimpers and the soft sound of sand grinding on sand and immediately headed towards it before coming to a halt. What they saw was a gigantic, funnel-shaped pit trap with a tiny human trying to crawl out as a pair of huge mandibles quickly closed in on him.

"Ms. Branwen! Now!" Professor Heize shouted at her as he drew his weapon, a high-powered sniper rifle, which she earlier saw could also mechashift into a battle-axe, firing shot after shot at the huge Grimm.

Cursing under her breath, Ruby crouched for a moment, took a deep breath and then charged with all she had, leaving a trail of dust and rose petals behind her before the force of her speed created enough suction for a thick cloud of debris to follow behind her. She raced at the edge of the trap before allowing herself to be dragged downwards by the sand and grabbed the collar of the Hansa boy, the momentum of her speed giving her the chance to jump with just enough footing to get them both out.

The Grimm however was less than pleased and with a high-pitched shriek the entire body of the insectoid creature, its black form almost entirely covered by its bony exoskeleton, dragged itself out from its trap. Shrieking again at them, its six legs charging at them. Were it smaller, it would have been comical, but it was humongous, its painfully obvious awkward strides did nothing to hinder it from closing in on the two students in the blink of an eye. Ruby wrapped her arm around the boy and again activated her semblance, hiding them both in a cloud of petals as she basically flew them away towards their professor. They tumbled to the ground, both of them out of breath- they boy from his efforts to stay alive and crawling out of that trap and Ruby from carrying around a seventeen-year-old strong and fit boy using her semblance the entire time.

"Thank you, Ms. Branwen. No homework for the next month for you."

"I can live with that. Can we leave now?"

* * *

The trio was back outside in the desert, still running, the ground still shaking from the heavy steps of the Grimm chasing them.

Ruby knew she could probably just activate her eyes, but she didn't want to have the ability exposed. Her mother had told her about Qrow and Shade's headmistress and she didn't want any more attention on herself than she probably already had.

However, their situation grew more and more dire by the second. While the professor and she were more or less collected and calm despite their situation, the Hansa boy was still in a state of pure panic and if the roars were anything to go by, he was drawing more and more Grimm towards them.

If their collective lives weren't threatened by that giant bug following them, Ruby would have smacked him black and blue but that could always come later.

Running through the sand as the sun was setting, Ruby did something she never expected she would do and, if she were still with her tribe, she knew her mother would first smack her over the head for it and, second, would force her to gate duty for a month at least: she looked back.

She looked back to see how close the bug Grimm was to them and that was when she missed the pair of fierce looking pincers jutting out from the sand, stepping on it and forcing it closed around her ankle, biting into her leg.

She screamed in pain and stumbled as a worm like Grimm with a death grip on her ankle shot out from the sand before trying to drag her down with surprising strength.

"Ms. Branwen!" Her Professor called out, taking aim at the worm's body, which was not as thickly covered in the Grimm typical bone armour, forcing its pincers to release her leg. She drew katana and cut the worm in half but not a moment later all she could see was the insectoid maw of the giant bug looming over her.

With no other choice, she focused, her steely gaze illuminating the darkening desert and freezing the bug while evaporating any other Grimm that were close by.

Her katana still in her hand, she pierced the bug's underbelly, forcing cracks to form before it crumbled around her into pieces of brittle rocks.

"Ms. Branwen? Are you alright? Can you stand?"

"I'm alright but my leg is a mess…I used up so much of my aura to carry around that idiot with my semblance, it didn't protect me at all…"

"While I do not condone your language, I will indeed have to have a word with Mr. Hansa about wandering off by himself like that," the Professor gave the other student a stern look before helping Ruby up. "And there seems to be our taxi already looking for us. You are lucky, Ms. Branwen, your classmates will not have to see your teacher carry you around after all."

Ruby let out an audible sigh of relief at that.


	6. Interlude

**AN:** Hi all! The response the last chapter got was immense, thanks so much everyone! This is kind of shorter than the rest but it is a setup for the future chapters! So, I hope you enjoy this anyways and you can look forward for what is to come! Also, you guys seem to be all about "I don't mind smut" so there will be some in the future…I enjoy writing it too much to not to, honestly.

 **JackTheSpades:** There's gonna be plenty violence, I can guarantee that.

 **Masane:** Not having Ruby in a fix relationship would have been my preference anyways and there also seems to be the general consensus that goes for exactly that; no fix relationship. So, yeah, my Ruby won't be in one. And if you haven't watched V6 yet you should definitely do it soon! In my humble opinion this Volume is right up there with V3.

 **Arridu:** Thank you! I actually looked up for lizards living in desert and the Gila came up and I liked it. The giant bug basically looks like an antlion larvae and the worm that grabbed Ruby's ankle looks like a bobbit worm (though that lives underwater but it just freaks me out and I wanted it as a Grimm).

* * *

The coming months after the field trip went by with a lot less excitement. If Ruby was honest, she didn't really mind that fact, considering she was closer than she would have liked to actually losing a foot. She made sure that boy was very aware of what she thought about the fact that she had to risk life and literal limb to save him from his own stupidity. His team didn't particularly appreciate it, but she didn't care and surprisingly, neither did her own team.

Even the soft-spoken and kind-hearted Gwen agreed that a hunter with that lack of sense for self-preservation was doomed to die sooner rather than later.

The only positive that she took out of that fiasco was that she only had to use crutches for a single week while her aura was replenishing itself and healing her injury.

The entire event blew over pretty quickly though and Ruby was glad for it. The entire profession seemed to be getting more attention than necessary, something that irked Ruby immensely. She knew that she, herself, was special thanks to her eyes but that did not mean she enjoyed attention. A lot of the students however seemed to be exactly about the fame, glory and money that apparently came with this career.

If she had to choose between spending the rest of her life with her tribe or as a huntress Ruby knew there was no choice to be made. First of all, she promised to go back to the tribe anyways and she never broke her word. Secondly, the tribe was her life; she grew up there and they accepted her with open arms. How could she throw that away? There was no way, especially after experiencing the obvious downsides of this career first hand, that she would ever throw away what Raven gave her. The tribe's chief took her in as her own, raised her as if _she_ gave birth to Ruby.

And yet, after all this time, all these years under Raven's tutelage, guidance, training, parenting and so many more things, she still thought many times about Summer, especially as once again the date arrived when today, to the day twelve years ago, was when her mother's superiors from the _Guild of Huntsmen and Huntresses_ arrived at her mother's and father's home in Patch to inform her then-family that Summer Rose was officially declared K.I.A. after having been M.I.A. for a month.

Ruby knew now that it was virtually impossible for it to have been simple Grimm that killed her mother, not with her Silver Eyes. According to Raven, Summer was very proficient at using them as she more than once saved the day for infamous Team STRQ.

But Raven also told her that people with this very special trait were hunted mercilessly for various reasons. Raven was sure it was because of her eyes she was killed. Raven was also sure it was Ozpin to blame because he put her on specifically dangerous missions to fight against Salem's minions.

Ruby trusted Raven implicitly. Never once had she lied to her, never once had she betrayed Ruby's trust and the young Branwen so absolutely no point whatsoever to start doubting her tribe's chief on Summer's disappearance.

Ruby knew her life would have been very, _very_ different if Summer Rose were still alive. She probably would have been raised to be an upstanding citizen, she probably would have seen huntresses and huntsmen as heroes and asked for their autographs were she ever to meet one.

She was glad it didn't come to that. From where she stood now, so much naivety was sickening to her. The people were blind with seeing eyes. They saw heroes when there were none. They romanticized an everlasting and ultimately hopeless battle against an ancient and otherworldly foe.

Of course, the young Branwen did regret the time she never would have with her birth-mother, but she did not regret the second mother and second life she gained.

Sure, she essentially became a criminal, an outlaw. She stole from others, killed others but it was what it was; she enjoyed her life all the same. Summer would never approve and Raven made that very clear several times but Ruby persevered.

Ruby missed her mother, Summer, but thinking of what she had now, that Raven chose to fill that role in her life made it bearable.

Even in days like today, when she remembered that heartbreak upon hearing of her mother's disappearance and presumed death, Raven's steadfast presence, made Ruby stronger.

However, it seemingly did not keep her from being somewhat distracted as she missed the footsteps approaching her. To say she was thoroughly mortified at the startled jump and shriek that escaped her as a hand touched her on her shoulder would be an understatement.

She felt her face heat up as a furious blush covered her cheeks, her wide-eyed gaze screaming _murder_ at the laughing culprit.

"I am so disappointed that I won't have this recorded with my scroll cam!"

"I will kill you in your sleep."

The threat didn't deter Nolan's shit-eating grin as he sat down next to Ruby outside the academy, his pants rolled up and boots taken off before he let his feet dangle into water surrounding the academy. "What's up?"

Ruby raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?"

"You've been kinda distracted the whole day."

"I don't know if I should be flattered or threatened that you apparently have been watching me all day." She smirked as Nolan coughed into his fist, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Don't deflect the question; you doing okay?"

A small sigh escaped Ruby as she looked down into the clear water, her bare feet absorbing the refreshing cool it provided. "Today's…just a day that never fails to make me reflect on some things."

"And?"

"And nothing. That's all there is to it."

"You know you don't always have to carry your problems alone, right?"

Chuckling at that, Ruby gave Nolan a small smile. "I know that. I've already talked with my mother about it several times over the years so there's no need. If I needed to, I could talk with her again, so really, no need." They were quite for a couple moments before Ruby spoke up again. "Thank you, by the way," she added with an awkward mumble. If it wasn't her mother she was thanking, she always felt awkward thanking people for anything.

"Suit yourself then," Nolan replied with a shrug before lying down on his back, his arms folded behind his head, forming a cushion. "You excited about next week?"

Nodding, Ruby did the same as Nolan and laid down on her back with her hands folded behind her head, effectively exposing her midriff as her shirt rode up. "Yes, I really am excited. I want to win this tournament and I am confident that I will."

"No surprise there." Not able to help himself, Nolan glanced at Ruby's exposed skin and raised an eyebrow as the bite scars caught his high; pale against her by now tanned skin. "How'd you get those?" He asked, pointing at the marred skin.

"Huh? Oh, that." Ruby's hand reflexively touched the markings before she shrugged her shoulders. "beowolf…I was four or five I think."

"What happened?"

"It's obvious, isn't it? A beowolf bit me."

"You seem pretty chill about that, considering…well…the fact that a beowolf could have just eaten you."

Allowing herself a small laugh, Ruby turned her head to look at the redhead. "At the time it was…traumatizing, but I've grown up since then. There's not much that can scare me at this point and I won't let a couple scars cripple me."

"Fair enough."

With nothing else to be said, both teenagers just laid there as the sun was slowly setting in the desert, enjoying the cooling temperature.

* * *

"Ruby."

"Mother."

The teenager could not help the grin spreading across her face at seeing her mother for the first time in _months_ in the flesh again. When Raven allowed herself a soft smile while inviting Ruby to a hug, the young Branwen didn't hesitate.

"I missed you too, little gem."

"It is good to see you, mother. How is Vernal? How is the tribe doing? Did you raid villages?"

"Let us sit down first," Raven released Ruby and brushed the teenager's hair from her face before distancing herself again.

"Of course!" The two sat down outside in the darkness of the desert, the only illumination provided by the academy's lamps. Ruby recognized her mother's commanding posture immediately and followed suit.

"As for your questions…we are doing considerably well," Raven began, "but, obviously, without your semblance it isn't as easy anymore."

"I can always help," Ruby offered immediately. "With _your_ semblance it's no problem for me to wander between Vacuo and Mistral."

"That isn't necessary, Ruby," Raven quickly shut the teenager's idea down. "I have another reason why I decided to show up anyways."

"The Vytal Tournament."

"Indeed. You are leaving tomorrow for Beacon?"

"Yes," Ruby confirmed.

"I don't like the idea of you being there, but I trust you."

"I will inform you as soon as I feel like being watched."

"And?"

"I will not talk to Qrow, Tai or Ozpin unless I don't have any choice."

"Good." Though Raven still was deeply worried of having Ruby that close to the wizard's clutches, she didn't show it. There still was more, however, and the Branwen chief took a deep breath before speaking up again. "I have something to ask of you, Ruby, and I leave it up to you as it should not be your burden, but I do not want to risk being seen. For the time you stay in Vale, I would like for you to watch over Yang."

"Oh. Of course, I will do it," Ruby answered without hesitation, despite the surprise at the request.

"Thank you, Ruby."

"You are very welcome, mother. And, despite everything…she still is my sister after all."

* * *

The day had finally come and Ruby was more than ready to see Beacon Academy. Despite her mother's warnings, she could barely contain herself. Her team, BRNZ and a few elder teams were to represent Shade Academy against other huntsmen and huntresses in training from all over Remnant.

While she did not particularly care for the official reason behind the tournament, the competitive side of her could not wait to prove herself.

Then there was also Yang. That was something she wasn't sure how to feel about. Ruby hadn't seen her half-sister since… _that_ day. She wasn't even entirely sure what Yang had been told about what happened to her. Ruby was sure that all her sister saw was how her little sister was being carried off in the maw of a beowolf. That was the last they ever saw of each other…but that was soon to change.

It would be an awkward reunion, that much was for sure.

"Hey there, partner!"

Ruby rolled here eyes as Dew leaned onto the ship's railing next to her. "Dew."

"What do you think Vale's going to be like?"

"Not sure…I never was in the city."

"Wha-?"

Ruby smirked at Dew as she processed the implications of what her words could mean. "I was born on Patch, a small island west of Vale. But most of my life I've spent in Anima."

"Oh." Dew was silent for a while, just staring out into the sea with her partner. "Why'd you move?"

"No reason," Ruby answered without missing a beat. If Dew even caught onto her lie, she didn't show but Ruby was very confident in her ability to lie without batting an eye.

"Hm. Okay. Anyways, Nebula told me to get you, we are going to get dinner with BRNZ."

"Let's get going then," Ruby said as she pushed herself away from the railing and stretched before following her partner.

The ship transporting them from the Kingdom of Vacuo to the Kingdom of Vale was paid for by Shade Academy. It was a lot more luxurious than Ruby would have expected, considering that all they were was nothing more than a bunch of students trying to graduate from Shade.

But then again, this was just another proof that the entirety of the profession was a lot more glorified than it actually should be. It certainly made Ruby uncomfortable and she wondered why exactly it was her mother chose this profession. Was Summer Rose after the glory and money or were those things just a nice by-product that came with a profession that prided itself on helping and protecting those that could not do so themselves?

Raven always said that her birth-mother was very much a humble person, always keen on lending a helping hand, always showing the desire to put others before herself.

If what Raven said was right, and Ruby saw no reason to believe otherwise, then she could not imagine her mother to have ever been truly comfortable with the attention this profession seemed to be getting.

Ruby could not deny missing her tribe immensely. The wonder of the academy had washed off quickly and laid the flaws bare for Ruby to see. She was glad that she got to leave Shade behind for a while. Classes still needed to be attended to and since all academies had the same curriculum- with minor differences concerning local Grimm and cultural things- she would continue her classes at Beacon. Still, that change of scenery did nothing to curb her desire for raiding a village, plundering people's homes, bloodying _Mist Thorn_.

The chatter of her fellow students pulled her from her thoughts and she quickly caught sight of her team sitting at a large table together with Nolan, Brawnz, May and Roy. Dew and she took the free seats and after greetings were exchanged between her and the rest at the table, food was soon ordered.

Despite all of her complaints, she had to admit the food was great, so at least she would arrive in Vale sated and with a full stomach.


	7. Beacon

**AN:** Hello everybody! I can most certainly understand your excitement with NDGR arriving at Beacon, considering I am just as excited and, well, here we are. I hope you enjoy this introduction to their time at Beacon.

 **gothboy. wxlf:** To be honest, I'm not sure how much interaction there ever was between the tribe and the White Fang in canon. Was there any at all? I mean, the tribe itself was basically a group of thieves, raiders, et cetera, but I doubt they were ever terrorists. Sure, they killed and everything (which is insinuated through Raven and Qrow being sent to Beacon to learn how to kill huntsmen and huntresses and Raven killing the former Spring Maiden) but nothing further than that. But there's still other potential things that can cause Ruby and Blake to interact intensely, but you will have to wait and see until that time comes.

 **JackTheSpades:** I'm glad you caught onto that! I'm never too sure how well I convey the things I want to convey, the case of Ruby's almost blind trust included. But, you also have to consider that Raven _showed_ her things, she didn't just explain them. Raven showed Ruby magic with her maiden powers and her ability to change into a raven, she taught Ruby how to use her silver eyes. That's the basis of Ruby's trust but still, yes, Ruby still is more naïve than she herself thinks she is.

 **Masane:** Well, you've got some of your answers.

* * *

"Wake up, ladies!"

A collective groan answered the call of the only awake occupant of the dorm.

"I swear, some day we will revolt against your tyranny," Yang muffled her protest at being woken up so early while her face was still firmly planted into her pillow. "It can't be normal to always be awake so early…"

"Early?" Rina gave Yang a look that made her astonishment at the accusation plainly obvious. "I'll have you know, missy, I've let the lot of you sleep in for an hour longer than usual on weekends!"

"While I do appreciate your…enthusiasm, there is nothing wrong with having a lie-in on weekends," Rina's partner, the heiress of the Schnee-Dust-Company, Weiss, threw in her own opinion.

"Noted," the team-leader gave a dismissive wave with her hand, "but today the students from Vacuo are coming and I want to see our potential opponents!"

"What? Why? What good does looking at your opponents do? It's not like you learn about their fighting styles or weapons by staring at them like a creep," Yang pointed out while still firmly keeping her sleepy glare on her face.

"Yang's not wrong," the blonde's partner's calm voice joined the conversation. "There's no point in looking at the exchange students if we get no information out of it."

"Besides," Weiss began while giving her partner a pointed glare, "the Vacuan students aren't due to arrive until another four hours."

"Oh, dang, I must've mixed the times up somewhere," Rina gave a careless shrug before putting on an enthusiastic grin, "but since you are all awake now, how about some training?"

A collective groan was her response but she knew that once they were all up and functioning, there'd be no stopping them. Despite all their complaints and moping, team RWBY was always eager to better themselves as was she.

* * *

Vale was…different. The moment the ship arrived, and they stepped off, it was clear this city was bustling and busy every hour of the day and every day of the week. Even Vacuo, despite its size, was not like this. Her team had taken her to the city once and Ruby was _pleasantly_ surprised that the population looked as if it was way below of what she was expecting but then again, considering that the Kingdom of Vacuo was mainly wasteland and desert, it wasn't that surprising to see the kingdoms with more moderate climates flourishing in Vacuo's stead.

But this was almost a shock to Ruby's sensory system. Even what she remembered of her childhood in Patch was unlike what she was witnessing now. Here were so many people in such little space while Patch was just a quiet, little island with lots of green.

"I like it!" Dew stated with a wide grin as she took in all the colour and noise.

Ruby however wrinkled her nose. "I don't. It's too much, too loud. I don't think I could live here."

The blonde threw an arm over her partner's shoulder, not bothered at all by Ruby's statement. "I bet it's an acquired taste."

"If that's the case, how come you took to it so quickly?"

Dew gave Ruby a mock glare and dragged her over to the rest of their group while the accompanying professors were busy organizing for the rest of their trip to Beacon Academy.

Soon enough the large group of students was harried into an airship by their professors before the teenagers split up into their respective teams.

"It certainly seems stressful so far," Ruby commented as she sat down next to her partner with Nebula and Gwen taking seats across from them.

The young bandit was aware she was rambling, and she would be lying if she said that it had nothing to do with how nervous she was about facing Yang. It had been forever since she last felt that way; her confidence nowhere to be found, her bravado making way for dread.

What was she supposed to say to her sister? What could she say? It had been too long and while she still remembered their early childhood days fondly Yang and she were now too different to ever truly bond again, Ruby was sure of that. It wasn't like she didn't like her sister. It wasn't like she had problems with her sister. Of course, Ruby could never forget the circumstances leading up to her scar that beowolf left on her and to the rescue by Raven herself. It was the stupidest and most irresponsible thing her sister could have come up with, even with her childish mind at the time, but in the end, Yang was still her sister and she couldn't hold a grudge over her, even if she wanted to.

Besides, it all did work out in the end.

Ruby liked what she had become and where her life had gotten her.

Yang's choice of career was the direct opposite to hers; where she was a criminal, Yang went for upholding laws. Yang protected the innocent whereas she robbed and killed them.

And on top of all of that, Raven raised her instead of Yang. Of course, Ruby was aware of the circumstances of Raven leaving her own daughter behind but would Yang be as understanding?

"Students, if you look outside you will see Beacon Academy."

Startled out of her thoughts, Ruby glanced out of the window and she had to admit that Beacon was a sight to behold. Sitting right at a cliffside with multiple waterfalls surrounding it, there the proud academy was. Just as was the case for Shade, Beacon was a fair way from Vale with lots of green to be seen.

It definitely was an awe-inspiring sight.

"Wow."

Ruby had to agree with her team leader there.

There were more muttered comments strewn across the airship of students expressing their wonder at Beacon's sight. At least that background buzz provided some distractions from her thoughts.

The academy inched closer and closer and soon there were some of its students visible walking around the campus, making Ruby feel anxiety deep in the pit of her stomach.

"You look kind of peaky…are you okay?"

Ruby glanced at the direction of Gwen's voice, her team leader's partner always watching out for her teammates. She took the role of team NDGR's mother-hen in stride.

"I'm alright, don't worry," Ruby answered the question with a small smile.

Taking in a deep breath as the airship approached the landing platform, Ruby walked up to the exit with her team. She could do this. She _would_ do this. She was a Branwen and she had faced worse situations in her life and always came out on top.

With another deep breath and a quick nod to herself, she followed the rest of the Vacuan students outside to step foot on Beacon's grounds.

 _Yang_ … _´here I come_.

* * *

After landing and finishing up some formalities between their professors and some blonde, stern looking woman which Ruby assumed to be Beacon's deputy headmistress since- well, she wasn't Ozpin- the group was led into what the blonde woman called the amphitheatre.

Looking around herself, Ruby was glad that she did end up in Vacuo instead of Beacon, since all the students here seemed to be wearing uniforms. She liked her own outfit well enough and imagining having to walk around in those formal skirts and blouses sent a shiver down her spine.

Once there, the respective teams got sorted into their dorm rooms which lead to the professors giving them free reign. A big welcome would only happen once all participating students from the kingdoms would have arrived for the Vytal Tournament.

"All right, ladies, let's find our room and unpack. We'll have all the time to look around later."

Agreeing with Nebula, team NDGR made their way out of the amphitheatre and towards what was dubbed the Beacon Tower. The four of them took a moment to take in its sight, which certainly was an impressive structure.

"Not gonna lie, Vale is impressive so far."

Ruby gave a shrug of her shoulder, her arms crossed over her chest as she glanced at her partner. "I admit, Beacon's architecture is something else…but I still find Vale kind of…stuffy. Too many people in too little space."

"I can see how some people would not like busy cities," Dew gave a nod, "but to me, it's a nice change of pace from Vacuo."

"Not enough to move to Vale permanently. For me at least," Gwen added with a slight tilt of her head. "Maybe for a weekend or vacations every other month or so."

The blonde gave an enthusiastic nod, agreeing with her best friend's partner. "Oh, yes, definitely! I wouldn't want to leave Vacuo behind for anything. My entire life's basically in Vacuo…I couldn't bring myself to leave everything and everyone."

They continued chatting as Nebula urged them to move on, following the directions she downloaded into her scroll, her team looking this way and that, taking in everything they could from Beacon's campus.

Ruby on the other hand was looking for a blonde that was not her partner and teammate. She wasn't even exactly sure what Yang would be looking like. It had been years upon years since she saw her last and those memories were, unfortunately, not the fondest; the panicked and frozen child, with silent tears streaming down her face while her screaming little sister got carried away in a beowolf's maw.

She never even really blamed her sister for that. As irresponsible as Yang's actions that day were, she could and should be absolved of her guilt by her age alone. She was a child and acted as such; taking actions without thinking of possible consequences.

Ruby let a sigh escape her as she kept on looking without really having a face to look for. It was difficult enough to find someone in this myriad of students but it was entirely hopeless when you didn't even know what the person you were looking for would be looking like.

On top of that, Ruby wasn't even sure why she suddenly kept on looking? Did she want the inevitable to just be over? Did she deep down want to see her sister again? She wasn't sure and before she could continue her thought process any further, she crashed into someone, her spacing out having completely frown off her sense of her surroundings.

"Watch where you're going!"

Frowning at the haughty and bossy tone of whomever she walked into, Ruby got back up to her feet, muscle memory immediately moving her body into a dominant posture, her chin raised up ever so slightly, a faint ' _oh no_ ' from her partner audible. "I'd watch my tone if I were you, missy. You don't want to mess with me."

" _Excuse me_? Just who do you think you are to talk to _me_ like that?"

Ruby was about to retort when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "C'mon, Ruby, you don't want to start something already, do you?"

Turning towards her partner, Ruby shot her an incredulous look. "I'm not letting some brat walk all over me."

Before the white-haired girl could react, Nebula walked up and put a placating hand on the girl's shoulder. "I am really sorry on behalf of my teammate. She's usually nice to be around but has a terrible temper."

"Really?" Ruby quirked an eyebrow at her leader. "That's the best you came up with?"

"Work with me, Ruby!" Nebula looked desperately at their troublemaker.

The white-haired girl gave Ruby an odd look, however, before she turned back to Nebula, giving her a curt nod. "I accept your apology. You are exchange students from Vacuo I assume? I haven't seen you around before."

"Yeah, that's right. We were just heading to our dorm building."

"Allow me to welcome you to Beacon Academy, then. My name is Weiss Schnee of team RWBY."

"Thank you. I'm Nebula Violette, this is my partner Gwen Darcy, this over there is Dew Gayl and you already have been… _acquainted_ to Ruby Branwen, Dew's partner."

"A pleasure to meet _all_ of you," Weiss pointedly ignored Ruby but gave the rest of the team a welcoming smile. "However, I have class in a few minutes. I hope you all settle in well. Maybe we'll spar in combat class before the tournament begins?"

"I'd love to," Dew grinned at the girl before waving goodbye and turning at Ruby, who snickered silently. "Seriously, Ruby, what was that about?"

"Don't blame me? I accidently bumped into her, she snapped at me. I wasn't going to just take it. Figures, though, considering she's a Schnee."

"Just…don't go making enemies out of everyone you bump into," Nebula sighed before motioning for her team to keep moving.

* * *

Team RWBY was sitting in combat class, far in the back, listening to their excitable teacher, Doctor Oobleck, rattle down his curriculum in highspeed.

Weiss, however, had her mind on something else today, which was, considering her priding herself on her perfect marks in every class, entirely unlike her.

Checking her watch, she saw that they only had a couple minutes left, so she stopped any further attempts at concentrating and nudged the blonde next to her with her knee, drawing her attention to herself.

"Before class, I…saw someone and, before I explain this further, I want you to promise me to not get your hopes up." Weiss kept her voice low, drawing a curious look from Yang.

"What are you talking about?"

"Just humour me."

"Okay…"

The bell rang, and the students began packing up before heading outside.

"Would you show me that picture of your sister again?"

"What? Why?"

Sighing at the suddenly vulnerable look on the usually tough girl's face, Weiss kept urging her. "Please."

The blonde removed rose shaped locket from around her neck and handed it the Schnee heiress.

Looking at the picture, Weiss saw the face of an adorable little girl grinning at her, her hair unique with its black roots and dark red tips. She was sure there weren't many girls with a hair colouring like that and she was sure there were even less with a hair colouring like that called Ruby.

"You said her name was Ruby Rose, right?"

"Yeah…Weiss, what's going on? Why are you suddenly so curious about my sister?"

"Do you know something?" "Yeah, what's with all the questions?"

Holding up a hand to silence all the questions, Weiss continued her explanation. "Earlier I ran into some exchange students from Vacuo and one of them bumped into me. She was incredibly rude and disrespectful, if I may say so," Weiss huffed in annoyance, "but anyways, one of her teammates called her Ruby." Yang's eyes widened at that, but Weiss continued talking as team RWBY was walking towards their dorm room. "That caught my attention, obviously, so I gave this Ruby a closer look and, well, while her hair was longer than on this picture, the colouring was what threw me off. How many people do you know with a hair colour like that, Yang?"

"I…only Summer and Ruby," the blonde whispered, her heart beating so rapidly against her chest and her eyes blinking at the tears threatening to spill as a surge of… _something_ shot threw her entire body.

"Thing is, though, she was introduced as Ruby _Branwen_ and not-"

" _What_?!"

Weiss jumped at the sudden outburst from Yang. "Yang…?"

"It has to be her! Branwen, tha-that's my uncle's and mum's last name! It has to be her! We have to see them. Weiss, we _have_ to!"

Quickly nodding at Yang's desperation, Weiss motioned for the rest of the team to follow her, Blake and Rina looking equally in shock as she felt. "They said they were going to get settled in their dorm room, so maybe they are still there…"

* * *

Team NDGR were finished with unpacking and had decided to wait until the next day for walking around Beacon and see what it had to offer.

For now, after Ruby had received a thorough tongue-lashing from Nebula, the four girls were settled in their beds, some chatting with their friends via their scrolls, others reading and Ruby maintaining her katana while sitting cross legged on the floor, her materials in front of her.

It was into that quiet there was a knock on their door, causing Ruby to look up with a huff before she got up to her feet and opened the door, raising an eyebrow at the white-haired girl in front of her. "You again?"

"Ruby?"

At the whisper of her name, Ruby's head jerked towards the voice, staring at the tall blonde with widened eyes. "Oh…"

Before she could think of anything else, two strong arms pulled her into a hug.

* * *

 **AN:** I seriously thought long and hard on how to replace Ruby in team RWBY, going through different team names and so on but nothing ever really stuck, so I went with this OC, Rina Skye. How big of a role she ends up playing remains to be seen, but she _will_ play a role or I wouldn't have made her team leader. Still, the main role in this story is, of course, Ruby's.

Also, sorry for the little cliffy, hah.


	8. Sisters And Secrets

**AN:** Wow, the response for the last chapter was immense- most reviews for a single chapter so far! Thank you, guys! I hope this chapter won't disappoint as it has the long-awaited moment you all have been longing for. Enjoy!

 **Masane:** Well, there can't be a good RWBY story set in Remnant without Ruby bumping into Weiss and Weiss flipping.

 **ReaperStride:** Just to go with that DBZ thing I was seriously considering to have the next three or so chapters be flashbacks.

 **JackTheSpades:** For as long as my muse is willing! Heh, yeah, I doubt Yang was overly happy with the team named after her long-lost baby sister.

 **Guest:** 'Is Rina a friend from before Beacon?' No, she isn't. I thought about it but figured that I'd rather have an outsider, someone unknown to WBY, be their fourth teammate.

 **GeonteneArgon00:** I know, right? I still am not entirely sure how and when I'm gonna handle the Raven/Yang conversation but for now, we'll have this. I hope that the Ruby/Yang conversation somewhat meets your expectations.

* * *

"I thought I'd lost you, I thought I'd never see you again…"

Ruby went stiff as a board, not knowing what to do with herself as her sister held her close, wetting her dark hair as she silently cried. Ruby herself felt her lower lip quiver as all sorts of emotions rushed through her body, overwhelming her in the process but she forced herself to keep a clear head.

Slowly and gently removing herself from Yang's embrace, she looked up into her lilac eyes for the first time in years. "Yang…I…" She didn't know what to say.

Ruby Branwen was many things. A combat prodigy. One of the last remaining silver eyed worriers of legends long forgotten. A member of the notorious and dangerous member of the outlaw Branwen tribe. She was dangerous and deadly, she could set a pace on the battlefield with her semblance that almost no one could keep up with.

But here she was, this Ruby Branwen, completely out of her depth as she looked at the teary face of her sister; the sister who probably thought her dead for years, blaming herself for the cruel death of her baby sister.

"Alright, I don't know what's going on, but I think it best if we leave these two alone for a while to talk it out or something…?"

Ruby jumped at the voice of her team leader before glancing back at her. "Yes, please. I'll…explain things later."

Receiving nods from her teammates, a few moments later Yang and she were alone in the room, standing awkwardly before Ruby motioned for the blonde to take a seat on one of the beds as she sat across from her.

"I…I don't even know where to begin," Ruby stated, looking at the floor, her hands twisting and turning in each other.

"Where have you been? What happened?" Yang was looking at her little sister earnestly. "I always hoped…dad and uncle Qrow always hoped…but I just…I don't know…at some point, it just didn't seem realistic anymore, y'know?"

A sigh escaped Ruby and she didn't say anything for a few moments. "Your mum," she finally whispered, daring a quick glance at Yang and wincing inwardly at the shocked look on the blonde's face.

" _What_?"

"When that beowolf carried me away…your mum saved me and took me in."

"You've got to be joking…" Yang stood up and ran a hand through her thick mane, pacing across the room as her agitation was evident at that revelation. "All these years…all these years I've wondered why she ran away, why she wouldn't want me, why she abandoned me and dad…and then you tell me that she saved _you_ and raised _you_? That she was…basically _there_ but…" Yang looked torn between the urge to scream and cry, feeling both hurt and betrayed. "I'm so happy she saved you, believe me, but…why, _why_ am I not good enough?" Yang collapsed onto her bed, her faced now hidden in her hands as she brokenly voiced that question.

"It was never about you not being good enough, Yang," Ruby spoke up, feeling uncomfortable at the state of her clearly emotional sister. "There were…circumstances, choices she was forced to make. It never had anything to do with her not wanting you."

"Then _why_? What reason is good enough for her to abandon me, her _own daughter_ , but raise someone else's?"

"It's not my place to tell you. All I can say is that she loves you a lot and she told me many times she wished she could have raised you as she raised me. It _never_ was about her not loving you, Yang, I can promise you that much."

"That's not good enough, Ruby…"

At that, Ruby huffed. "Well, it has to be. The world isn't just black and white, with good reasons for things and bad reasons, good people or bad people. There are many, _many_ shades of grey in between and Raven's reasons for leaving you behind were exactly of that nature. There are things…she told me, showed me," Ruby now was the one to stand up from the bed, staring out the window before turning back to look at her sister who gave her an odd look, "Raven had to make many hard choices…some for your sake, some for my sake, some for her own sake and some for… others sakes. I'm certain that some day you can meet her and ask her all your questions and when she explains everything to you- which I know she will- then you can judge her but for now reserve your judgement and just take the knowledge that you have a mother out there who loves you."

"That's still not good enough, Ruby…"

"But for now it has to be."

Neither of the sisters said anything for a while, Ruby standing at the window and staring outside while Yang was sitting on the bed, trying to process everything.

After some moments passed, Yang looked back at her little sister, her very posture so different from the happy girl she remembered. Her very eyes and expression had a hardness to them that seemed so foreign on her soft features, he cheeks still slightly chubby with baby-fat. Ruby Rose just didn't look like Ruby Rose anymore, like she wasn't Ruby Rose anymore. "Why didn't you ask my mum to bring you back?"

"Because she told me things about my mother no one else would."

Yang's look was one of utter bewilderment. "And you just, what, believed everything?"

Ruby turned away from the window to look Yang right in her eyes. "Raven is not someone to act without thinking or telling things without having proof. For everything she told me she had proof, Yang. She earned my trust."

"And that's it? You just…forgot about dad, about _me_ , because _my_ mum told you stories about _your_ mum?" It sounded ridiculous and Yang couldn't believe just how little it took to turn Ruby away from her family. It stung.

"It wasn't about that she told me things, Yang," Ruby clarified tiredly. "It was about _what_ she told me. There were things she said…" Ruby sighed before shaking her head. "Now is not the time to open this topic. Someday, maybe. I don't know."

"Ruby…you were gone for _years_. I thought…" Yang stopped for a moment to collect herself, to bring herself to voice the thought she hadn't voiced since the moment her uncle found her surrounded by Grimm, sobbing uncontrollably, "I thought that Grimm _ate my baby sister_!"

The young Branwen couldn't bring herself to look at her elder sibling, the broken voice, the wet sniffles making it obvious that she was on the verge of crying. "Yang…"

"And then…and then you come here, tell me that _my_ mother raised you. And after that you tell me basically nothing. Did you not miss me at all? Or dad? Or Uncle Qrow?"

Ruby supressed her sneer at the mention of her…of Yang's mother's twin before letting out a sigh. It was getting tiresome to refer to Raven as _Raven_. It was obvious how badly Yang was taking everything already and Ruby didn't feel the need to add to everything the fact that Raven was basically a mother to _her_. "Of course I did miss you, Yang, but…it's not…that easy."

It was hard to justify Raven's choices, _her_ choices, without revealing things and Ruby felt herself grimacing inwardly, once again, at how she tried to explain things without having to explain things. It was painful and made even more so when Yang let out a defeated, disappointed, hurt and betrayed sigh.

The sound of a creaking bed made Ruby look up at her sister as the blonde took a few tentative steps towards the young bandit.

"For what it's worth," Yang began, her hands resting on her hips, her brows furrowed, "I'm glad…I'm _happy_ you are okay, Ruby. I'm not going to pretend that the things I found out today…that they didn't hurt and they _did_ hurt…like a bitch."

"I'm…sorry."

"Yeah." Yang sighed at the apology, not sure what to do with it. "I just- come here."

Once again, Ruby found herself in a hug, her sister holding her tightly. Ruby slowly allowed herself to hug Yang in return. Despite everything she became, despite the knowledge of where her path was going to lead her, despite the fact that Yang and she would never be able to see eye to eye again in almost every aspect of their lives Ruby knew she missed her sister dearly and there was no harm in allowing herself a little bit of the comfort only the embrace of an elder sibling could provide.

"Promise me that you will tell me everything when you think you can, Ruby. Please."

"Yang…"

"Please, Ruby.

"You won't like it."

"Maybe I won't. I still want the truth eventually."

Pulling herself away from Yang, Ruby looked her sister in the eyes before relenting with a defeated sigh. "Alright. When the time is right, I will tell you everything but know that sometimes ignorance can be bliss."

"Not when it comes to the single most important person of my life, Ruby. Not when it comes to you."

Ruby already dreaded that day.

* * *

"Class, let us welcome our guest students for the Vytal Tournament from Vacuo."

There was a small polite applause going around the arena room for combat class as the blonde woman, who greeted them at Beacon's landing platform, introduced them to their fellow students.

The woman, Glynda Goodwitch, seemed like the stern type who demanded respect and obedience in the classroom…kind of like what her mother would be like if she were a teacher instead of a bandit tribe's chieftain.

Chuckling at her own thought, Ruby drew her partner's attention.

"What's so funny?"

Ruby glanced at Dew, who still was somewhat miffed at her.

" _I can't believe you kept your long-lost sister from us!"_

" _Technically,_ I'm _the long-lost sister…"_

" _That's not the point!"_

"Just a funny thought," Ruby gave a shrug before leaning into her seat and pulling a leg up, resting her chin on top of her knee as she looked down at the arena where one of her sister's teammates was dashing around her opponent, confusing him with her after-images.

"She is impressive," the bandit mumbled, earning nods from her own teammates.

"Your sister's team looks strong in general, to be honest."

Glancing sideways at Gwen, Ruby cocked her head slightly. "We've only seen that girl fight so far. I don't see how we would know about the rest."

"It's just a first impression thing," Gwen gave a bashful shrug.

"I-"

"Miss…Branwen."

Ruby's attention snapped towards the Goodwitch woman, her tone when calling her name and the look she was giving indicating that she definitely was familiar with the Branwen name. "Yes?"

"Since you seem awfully chatty, I'm sure you wouldn't mind being in the last sparring match of this class."

Ruby smirked at that. "I don't mind at all."

"Please don't hurt your opponent too badly, Ruby."

Chuckling, Ruby patted her team leader on her shoulder as she passed her. "I'll do my best, I've stressed you enough already since we've arrived at Beacon."

Strolling down he stairs towards the arena, Ruby kept her hand on the hilt of her _Thorn_.

"Who's going to be my opponent?" She asked once she reached the arena and took her position.

"Any volunteers?"

Ruby glanced around the room and saw her fair share of raised hands, making her chuckle and smirk. Of course they would think she'd be an easily overpowered opponent. Of course they'd underestimate her just by her looks. The mistake her temporary classmates were making at this exact moment was, why she didn't trust 'first impressions' to judge once proficiency in battle.

"Mr. Winchester?"

Her opponent was a tall and muscular, ginger young man with heavy plate armour covering his uniform. His weapon of choice was a mace, probably dust powered but she couldn't be too sure.

She kept looking at him impassively, unimpressed by his cocky swagger as he approached the arena.

"Kick his ass, Ruby!"

Glancing towards the direction of the outburst, Ruby saw her sister cheering her on, earning odd looks from the rest of NDGR and RWBY but Ruby still gave Yang a quick wink. She would kick his ass, after all.

"Are you two ready?"

"You can just forfeit, runt. Nobody'd blame you," the Winchester boy taunted her but to no avail. Ruby simply ignored him and gave Goodwitch a small nod before the blonde teacher gave them the signal to begin.

Ruby immediately disappeared in a burst of wind and rose petals before appearing in front of Winchester, unsheathing and slashing with her katana in one smooth and powerful move. A startled Winchester barely blocked Ruby's first slash, who followed up with three quick successive slashes before dodging a powerful hit from her opponent's mace, a small explosion damaging the spot where she was standing a moment ago.

She was standing a few feet away from Winchester, her weapon sheathed once more as she gave him a small smirk. His breathing was already a bit laboured and it was no surprise to her. His entire getup, weapon included, practically screamed _heavy-hitter_. He was powerful, no doubt, but he was _just_ that; powerful. From the mere seconds their fight had lasted so far, she knew he wasn't particularly talented, just strong. His movements were very slow, his attacks too predictable.

Charging at her with a yell, Winchester raised his weapon for a strong overhead smash, which, if it would hit, would have put a considerable dent into her aura. But she wasn't average. She was trained by none other than Raven Branwen. She was strong in her own right _but_ , and that was the main difference between her and that Winchester boy, she was also fast.

She dodged his attack, causing another explosive hit of his to miss before she took advantage of the heavy weapon and the time it took Winchester to straighten up from his bent over position. Concentrating her semblance into her legs she jumped up and landed a powered kick into the side of his neck, his aura protecting him from any damage but not the pain he would surely feel.

Winchester slid outside of the arena, his mace still buried where he tried to pull it out.

"Thank you for your performances, Ms. Branwen, Mr. Winchester. That would be all for today, class dismissed."

Giving a small nod to the teacher, Ruby made her way back to her team who all looked incredibly proud of her performance.

"I thought I told you not to hurt him too much!" Nebula complained, her look a mix between pride and exasperation. "He's going to feel that kick forever!"

Ruby gave a nonchalant shrug. "He shouldn't have called me 'runt'. Besides, I hurt his pride more than his neck."

"Ladies. Ruby."

"What's that supposed to mean, Nolan?" Ruby squinted her eyes dangerously at the redhead. "Think carefully before you answer, I'm not the least bit tired after that spar."

Her…well, yes, she could call him a friend after the months she had gotten to know him, just laughed at her before throwing an arm over her shoulders. "Ah, the infamous Branwen humour, not having dulled a bit since we left Vacuo."

"I'll have you know I can be a very funny person. Ask my team if you must, they'll confirm it."

As team BRNZ was looking at Dew, Gwen and Nebula for confirmation all three of the girls silently shook their heads.

"Traitors!"

* * *

"Your sister is…something else."

Yang just gave a nod as she longingly looked after her sister and her team as they bantered with another team from Vacuo; friends, she assumed. "Yeah."

"You think they know about the things she's hiding from you?"

Looking at her partner, Blake, Yang shook her head. "I don't think so. She said…she said I wouldn't like the truth so…I'm going through every worst-case scenario in my head and I…I don't want any of them to be true."

"I still don't get why she didn't ask to be brought back to your family…" Weiss threw in as she and her teammates made their way to the cafeteria.

"I don't know guys, I really don't. All the answers I have are the ones I told you about."

Rina put a comforting hand on the tall blonde's shoulder. "We'll figure it out, Yang. Whatever it is, whatever happens, we are a team- no matter what."


	9. A Little Trouble

**AN:**

Hi all and another new chapter. Thanks for the positive response the reunion between Ruby and Yang got. Their relationship from this point on is going to be delicate to manouver and not just theirs. Also, I wrote this chapter on mobile so if there any glaring mistakes or things I missed please tell me so I can clean up. Enjoy!

 **Star's Keyblade4114:** Good to hear, OCs are always a tricky thing.

 **ReaperStride:** Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the reunion and the fight. Yes, things between Ruby and Yang are not going to be smooth sailing.

* * *

Their naked and sweaty bodies were pressed tightly together, her legs circled tightly around his waist as she urged him ever deeper inside her. Gasps and moans escaped her in rythm with his thrusts, her nails digging into his muscled shoulders.

She needed this so, _so_ much.

After months of basically being _chaste_ since joining Shade, Ruby decided that enough was enough.

Knowing that Nolan, who liked to enjoy a good nap during the day, would be alone in BRNZ' dorm room, she excused herself from her own team and now here she was, enjoying the feeling of a strong, muscular body covering her own, almost petite, form as the bed creaked under them.

Her legs tightened around Nolan's body as her toes curled and her body spasmed, sudden waves of pleasure crashing through her, a long-drawn moan leaving her.

Nolan followed up mere moments later, quickly pulling out of her, earning himself a gasp in the process, as he came on her stomach.

They both were out of breath and Ruby ran a hand through her sweaty hair, her eyes closed as she basked in the afterglow.

The bed dipped slightly to the sideside as Nolan moved to get up, his footsteps audible as he went somewhere, looking for something, before she felt a towel dropped on her a few seconds later.

Opening an eye, she gave Nolan a small smirk. "Thank you." Grabbing the towel, Ruby proceeded to clean up the sticky mess her friend created on her belly, still lying lazily on his bed with her free arm under her head. Once done, she held the towel out for Nolan so he could dispose of it, but he just gave her a shrug.

"Just drop it next to the bed, I'll clean up later."

Ruby did just that before scooting over so Nolan could lie down next to her.

"Sooo..." Nolan began, not sure what to say.

Ruby just sighed, rolling onto her side before she prepped up her head with a hand. "There's no need for this to be awkward, Nolan. I enjoyed myself a lot," she began before rolling her eyes and chuckling at the redhead's self-satisfied look, "and I wouldn't say no to any future...meetings."

"Hey, that's fine by me," Nolan assured her, "I just don't want you to get the wrong idea."

Ruby snorted at that. "Don't worry about that. You won't have to deal with a lovesick teenager, I can promise you that much."

"Not much of the relationship-y type?"

Ruby shook her head. "No. I neither have the patience nor the attitude to deal with romance and relationships. It's way more practical like this," Ruby waved a hand between Nolan and her. "Two horny friends doing it with no strings attached and having a friendly chat afterwards."

"What if you ever fall in love?" Nolan asked her, giving her curious look while trying to keep his eyes off her bare breasts.

"I don't know. I'll deal with it if it ever happens but I'm not much of a romantic to begin with." Her eyes widened slightly at a terrifying thought. "You are not feeling anything like that for me...do you?"

Giving her a startled look, Nolan shook his head vehemently. "No! No, relax. _That_ would be awkward. I mean, you are... _you_...like..."

"If you say 'like a sister' I will beat you up," Ruby said with a deadpan look.

"Gross, no! What's the matter with you?!" Shaking himself, Nolan tried to get his point across. "I meant, you are like...one of the guys, so to speak. A friend, a good friend. Just sexier than the guys because you have tits."

Ruby laughed at first before giving him a nod, feeling satisfied with his answer. This was exactly how she liked it. Uncomplicated, straightforward, no romance involved.

Rolling back onto her back, she stretched, a low moan escaping her at the series of pops running down her spine. Glancing at her equally naked friend next to her, Ruby allowed herself another small laugh. "You can look at my breasts, you know? I mean, you were sucking on them like ten minutes ago, so..."

They both fell into a small fit of chuckles at that before Nolan rolled over and on top of her.

"Ready for round two, I see..." Ruby reached out between the two of them and grasped his shaft as the readhead drew light gasps from her with the kisses and suckles he trailed along her neck.

"You gonna deny me that?" Nolan asked as his hips bucked on their own volition when Ruby began to stroke him gently.

"Don't worry," the young Branwen grinned up at him before forcing Nolan onto his back, her hand still firmly around his sex, "I'm going to take care of you just fine."

* * *

"So, are we going to talk about it, or...?"

Ruby gave her partner a confused and blank look, her hair still wet from the shower she took in BRNZ' dorm before her team basically intercepted her in their own dorm room. "Talk about what?"

"The fact that you basically disappeared for almost four hours and then you come here...freshly showered and with," Dew leaned a bit closer, examining her neck, "six hickeys on your neck!"

Ruby's eyes widened at that as she hadn't paid that much attention to the hickeys in front of the mirror. "Six? Boy, he went at it..."

"Ruby, you can't just...ditch us willy-nilly like that just to go make out with someone," Nebula pinched her nose tiredly.

"I told you I'd be gone for a while."

"You didn't wait for a reaction!" "You didn't tell us where you'd be!"

"Okay, I'll do better next time," the young Branwen promised her team.

"Also, you do have your scroll so...you can at least make use of that," Gwen spoke up for the first time.

"What she said!" Dew exclaimed with one hand on her hip while pointing with the other at Nebula's partner.

"Again, sorry. I'll do better."

Nebula sighed before stepping up to their youngest team member, placing both hands on the young teen's shoulder. "Ruby, I really like you and, even if my pride hates it, I have to admit you are by far the strongest of the four of us. _But_ you have to start being a better team player and I'm talking about little stuff, like... when you have to go somewhere you can tell us when to expect you back, or where you went, okay?"

Ruby nodded with a sigh. "You are right...I'll do better, I promise."

"Thank you," Nebula gave the young girl a squeeze on her shoulders before giving her a sly look. "We don't need any details, though. When you hook up with Nolan just tell us you are meeting Nolan."

"So you were aware that we were actually having sex." Ruby crossed her arms over her chest, an eyebrow raised questioningly, not a hint of embarrassment visible.

"You weren't exaxtly silent," Dew pointed out, her cheeks reddening as she remembered the noise her partner was making from the dorm room next to theirs.

Ruby simply answered with a satisfied grin.

* * *

Team NDGR was sitting in the cafeteria, having light conversations with BRNZ joining them for lunch. The fact that Nolan and Ruby had been intimate was common knowledge by now between the two teams and even a few acquaintances of both teams, but neither of the two cared or were bothered by it.

"Have you had another talk with your sister yet, Ruby?" Gwen suddenly asked the teen.

"Huh? No, I haven't, why?"

"Wait, what sister?" "You have a sister?" "What's she talking about?"

Ruby raised a hand to stop the hail of questions raining on her from BRNZ before turning her attention back to her soft-spoken teammate.

"I've just noticed her looking at you every so often is all," the dark haired girl gave a small shrug.

Ruby frowned slightly at that, daring a glance at Yang's table and indeed, she saw her sister looking at her before the blonde realized she had been caught and quickly looked away.

Sighing, Ruby got up from her table. "I'll go over to Yang's table and talk to her. You can tell the guys and May what I told you about Yang."

Walking past a few tables, Ruby wondered what she was even going to talk to her sister about.

It was an awkward and uncomfortable situation Ruby found herself in with Yang. Ever since she arrived at Beacon and had been...'reunited' with Yang, the blonde had looked at her whenever possible, the young Bandit was aware of that. Ruby tried to avoid it, to ignore it as best as she could but it wasn't so easy when you were almost constantly aware of someone staring at you.

Once she arrived at team RWBY's table, she had the attention of at least eight Beacon students, the other team being something with _J_ if she remembered correctly.

"Yang...may I?"

Yang gave Ruby a wide-eyed look before glancing pleadingly at the others who all shrugged or nodded. Once Yang's friends had shifted and made room for Ruby to sit next to her half-sister, the bandit again felt all the attention on her, something that made her entirely uncomfortable.

"So...I was wondering how you are doing?" Ruby began awkwardly, thinking that maybe it would have been a better idea to simply have dragged Yang away for a private chat.

"I'm great! But let me introduce you to my friends. So first..."

Ruby paid close attention to her sister's introduction of her social cricle. She was aware of the Schnee heiress but the Rina girl and her partner, Blake, were complete wild cards to Ruby. Then there was the other team, JNPR to be exact (she couldn't help but feel smug for remembering the _J_ part) with Jaune and Ren being the boys and Nora and Pyrrha being the girls of the team.

"I've actually heard of you," Ruby pointed at Pyrrha Nikos, "you've won some tournament or something in Mistral, right?"

Clearly uncomfortable, Pyrrha gave a polite smile and a shy shrug. "Yes, I've won some tournaments there..."

"Pyrrha's not a fan of attention," her sister explained to which Ruby gave an understanding nod.

"Understandable."

"I have to say, your fight against Cardin was impressive," Pyrrha skillfully diverted the conversation away from herself. "May I ask where you have been taught?"

"My...caretaker taught me," Ruby answered, immediately feeling the entirety of team RWBY tensing up.

"You mean Yang's mother."

Glaring at Yang's team leader, Ruby answered through clenched teeth. "Yes, Yang's mother."

"Rina, Ruby, it's okay. Really."

A look at Yang's tense posture told Ruby a different story but she didn't question it.

Pyrrha on the other hand looked mortified . "I really am sorry, I didn't mean to bring up any of-"

"Don't worry," Ruby calmed Pyrrha down. "However, I would like to fight you some day. That Winchester was...disappointing."

"I would love to," Pyrrha agreed, looking just as excited at the prospect of sparring with Ruby as she was at the prospect of sparring with Pyrrha.

"That should make for an interesting bout," Ren spoke up for the first time. "You seem to be just as proficient in hand to hand as you are with your weapon."

"Physically I'm not overly strong," Ruby admitted, "but I am extremely skilled with my semblance, which more than makes up for it."

"Your semblance's speed, right? It looked awesome with all those petals everywhere!"

Raising an eyebrow at the other JNPR girl, Ruby nodded in confirmation before seeing her team get up from their table. "My team is ready to leave and they wanted to see the city. So, see you I guess."

Receiving her _goodbyes_ from the rest of the table, Ruby got up and joined her own team.

* * *

Team NDGR was walking through Vale, the city still busy getting the final decorations ready for the upcoming festival and tournament. The citizens were clearly buzzing with excitement as several booths were being set up wherever there was space.

"I'd be lying if I said the excitement wasn't contagious," May pointed out as she took in the buzzing marketplace of the city before heading to a fruit vendor and buying herself a juicy apple.

Waiting for the sniper, her leader agreed with her. "It's something else, no doubt. Can't remember it being like this in Vacuo."

"Vacuo doesn't have the population like the other Kingdoms, being mostly a desert," Ruby shrugged, her arms crossed over her chest as she looked around uncomfortably. _Crowds_.

"True. Besides, our infrastructure just isn't the same," Nebula added before they kept walking after May rejoined the group.

"So, how'd your chat with your sister go? Making progress?" Dew asked Ruby after she deliberately slowed down so the two of them would trail behind the other six of their friends.

"Progress in what?"

"You know...reconciliation?"

Ruby shook her head. "There's no reason to reconcile. We had a quick chat, I got to know her circle of friends and that's about it."

"Boy, you are a complicated person."

"There's nothing I can do."

Dew looked at Ruby exasperatedly. "You can just explain everything? Like, actually explain?"

"I can't. Not right now, or even in the near future."

"But I don't get why?"

"Why is it even so important to you, Dew?" Ruby started to get angry but still kept her voice even and low. "This is an extremely private matter, a _family_ matter. I will deal with it when the time is right and I certainly don't have to explain every little thing to you. I'd appreciate it if you would not stick your nose in every little thing concerning me."

"Ruby-" Dew began but Ruby turned around and started to walk in the opposite direction before calling over her shoulder.

"I'm heading back to Beacon. I don't like this city anyways," she mumbled the rest before disappearing in the mass of people.

The bandit was really, _really_ angry. She liked Dew, she really did, but she hated how nosy the blonde was, always busy sticking her nose where it had no business being.

After some time, Ruby finally arrived at the airbus station and got in, silently thankful to finally be out of the city and the mass of people.

She missed the tribe, she truly did. Out there in the nature, living day by day, the thrills of a hunt and raid, how everyone just minded their own damn business...the academy life couldn't compare.

Sitting down, Ruby leaned back into her seat and crossed her arms over her chest as she looked outside the window.

It was clear that she didn't fit into this lifestyle. It was clear that her past and her future were the and would be the defining points of her life. Her present played little to no role; it was just a small waypoint at best. What she was doing here was of little to no consequence and for the first time since she started this little adventure Ruby started to doubt her decision to join an academy.

* * *

 **AN:** Ah, the first little crisis happening for NDGR. Also, I hope you enjoyed the little sexy scene.


	10. Dance Dance

**AN:** How about this for a quick update, am I right? You guys are getting _spoiled_ right now. Also, this too was written on the app, so in case I missed something in terms of mistakes, notify me in your preferred way. And, while I answered that review via PM, I still wanted to clarify Ruby's and Nolan's ages. Ruby is 15 here, Nolan is 17, so there's just a 2 year age gap between them. That being said: Enjoy!

 **gothboy. wxlf:** But why? :(

 **ReaperStride:** Thank you very much, I take pride in my sex scenes after all. Also, I wanted to surprise my readers with that start and good to see it worked, hah.

 **Silent Reader 6100:** Raven's portrayal as a coward in canon was something that really irked me after her chat with Yang. I won't do that here. While she still lives after 'the weak die, the strong live'- creed, her motivations here will reach deeper. She is an amazingly complex character and it really, really bothered me that she ended up being more of a coward than anything else.

 **Tensazangitsu:** Patience, _Mist Thorn_ will be bloodied soon enough. Also thank you, it really makes me happy that you and my other readers like my portrayal of Ruby so much!

* * *

"Hello, mother."

"Ruby. Your call is a pleasant surprise."

Smiling at her scroll's screen displaying Raven's face through the vid call, Ruby wondered what to say. The decision for this call was more of a whim than anything else once she stepped off the bullhead and made her way to the guest students' dorm. _Maybe_ _she could help_ , she wondered, _maybe she had this little crisis herself_.

Raven and she were very alike, but then again, Ruby knew that Raven raised her after her own ideals so it was no surprise she turned out that way.

"Ruby," Raven spoke again, now looking slightly concerned at her adoptive daughter's silence, "are you alright, little gem?"

Running a hand through her dark hair as she was lying on her bed, Ruby shook her head. "No, I'm not...I'm starting to think I've made a mistake with this whole academy business."

"Oh? How come?" Raven leaned slightly forward on her sitting cushion, her elbow on her thigh as she rested her chin in her hand, genuine curiosity clear in her piercing red eyes.

"I don't fit here. It's getting more obvious every day and it is starting to get harder every day to deal with my team sticking their noses in my business. I wanted to get an insight on my birth mother here but I'm not learning anything!" Ruby's frustration was starting to seep through. The teenager prided herself on her calm and collected demeanor but that became less and less true as she felt more and more out of her depth in the social situations between her and the huntsmen and huntresses in training, the heroes of today, the romanticized slayers of monsters and protectors of the innocent.

"But you _are_ learning, are you not?" Raven spoke with a tone Ruby was more than familiar with; _this is a lesson and you better listen and listen_ _well_. "You are learning what your peers in the academies are like...or at least are like _in general_ , as there are always those in it for nothing other than the money and glory- and there is nothing wrong with that-, but by learning about the attitude and ideals of the general student population you are learning about the kind of person Summer was by default."

Ruby was mulling the words over in her head. What Raven said did make sense. Sure, she would never get a detailed picture of Summer's personality by attending an academy but by learning about the general huntsman and huntress ideals she did learn at least a bit about what Summer stood for, fought for, _died_ for.

And she didn't like it. "She would have hated me, wouldn't she?" Ruby didn't care much about other people's opinions of her but what child did not like to think that their deceased parent would have loved them, no matter what they turned out like? The thought of a saddened and disappointed Summer Rose made her heart clench in the worst ways.

Raven just let out a small chuckle. "No, my little gem, she wouldn't have." Raven was silent for a while, seemingly thinking of her next words as neither mother nor daughter were speaking until Raven continued. "Summer was...once Taiyang and she learned about Qrow's and my background...things obviously changed in our team. Tai was less than pleased, as you know, but still pleased enough to get me pregnant," Raven muttered the last part with a scoff, making Ruby chuckle, "but Summer...she just did not care. She would always appeal to a person's better nature. So kind-hearted. So idealistic." Raven let out a sigh. "I liked your mother, Ruby. I liked Summer a lot, even if her ideals and view of the world were foolish and naive. She did not deserve to have her heart and ideals exploited for someone else's war. She didn't see murderers and thieves in Qrow and me when she learned about our tribe. To her, we simply were friends with a difficult past," the Branwen chieftain laughed at that.

"So, you are saying..."

"I am saying that yes, you and Summer would have been different as night and day, were she still alive," Raven began, "but she still would have loved you. She would be angry at me that I have lead you on this path, she would be saddened that you have blood on your hands, but she still would have loved you and she still would have been proud of you."

Ruby nodded. Her eyes were stinging and she held down her sobs. "I'm sorry," she choked out as she wiped away stray tears with her free hand. "I don't know what's coming over me..."

"It's natural, Ruby. You are missing the time you never had with the woman who gave birth to you. It is to be expected," Raven gave the teenager a sad smile. "Even a fierce, strong and ruthless warrior like you are is allowed to grief from time to time for someone. You lost your mother before you ever even got to know her."

"But I did get another amazing mother in return," Ruby gave Raven a teary but genuine smile.

Raven, not expecting that, was surprised for a moment but looked grateful when she returned Ruby's smile. "Thank you, little gem. That...means a lot."

A few moments of silence passed once more between the two of them before Raven spoke again. "So, do you want to leave your huntress training behind?"

Ruby, now once again calmed down, knew her mother was expecting a certain answer. "No..."

"Good," Raven approved. "I understand the grievances you mentioned earlier, I went through them myself. All you can really do is adjust. You don't have to adopt their ways of living or thinking. Just...go with it for as long as you are there."

"I really don't want to 'go with it'".

"Then just be an obnoxious, bratty and hormonal teenager. You are the right age."

"Really, mother?"

"Ruby...all you can really do is adjust as the situation demands it."

Ruby sighed in frustration, her free hand running through her hair. "You already said that."

"I am aware, but you are making me repeat myself."

Ruby was about to retort when she heard the door to the dorm room unlock, making her sit up. "I think my team is back, so I've got to go. Thank you for the chat, mother."

Raven nodded in return. "Think nothing of it, little gem. Stay strong and make your tribe proud of you."

With that the call ended, her scroll still in her hand as she stared at her own reflection in it. She looked a mess with her tousled hair, her red and puffy eyes, her tear-stained cheeks.

She got up with a sigh and was on her way to the bathroom when her teammates intercepted her.

"Look, Ruby-" Dew began but interrupted herself. "Were you crying?" The blonde looked incredibly guilty.

Ruby rolled her eyes and waved her partner's worries off. "I just talked to my mother and it got a bit emotional, nothing to do with you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Ruby barked, making the other three girls jump in surprise, before taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry about that. Dew, Nebula, Gwen...look, all I ask of you is that you respect my privacy. Please."

"But we worry and just want to help!" Dew protested as Gwen nodded. Nebula on the other hand remained stoic and waited for Ruby to finish.

"And while I appreciate you worrying, it won't change the fact that I am a very private person who does not like to share things. If I need to talk I will come to you."

"Which is likely never," Gwen quipped but then blushed when three heads turned towards her.

Ruby shrugged. "I will always try to contact my mother first if I need advice."

"Fair enough," Nebula spoke for the first time. "I'll admit that we probably got a bit...aggressive with trying to get you to open up," the team leader scratched the back of her neck, looking bashful. "So...sorry. We all apologize and we all will do our best from now on to show more respect to the bounderies you set when it comes to your privacy."

"Thank you," Ruby gave her team a small smile. "I'll go clean up now."

* * *

"I really don't want to."

Some time had past since the Vacuan students had arrived at Beacon, the Mistrali students having followed shortly after with the Atlesian students the only ones left to arrive.

Ruby had heard about some of her sister's team's exploits, like interrupting a dust heist at the docks or fighting a stolen Atlesian Paladin. She wasn't sure what they were thinking or if they were thinking at all but things like that certainly didn't make it easier to keep her promise to Raven. How was she supposed to watch over Yang if said blonde apparently kept trying to get herself killed?

But for now she had way, _way_ bigger worries. Beacon was hosting a dance and Nolan had asked her to go with him. She was shocked, worried that he had started developing feelings for her after all but he quickly put those worries to rest, saying that he figured they could just dance for a bit and hook up later.

She couldn't say no that.

But now, all dressed up, courtesy of her excited teammates, she waited for her date to pick her up.

"I really, _really_ don't want to dance. I think I'm going to ask Nolan to just skip straight to sex."

"No, you won't," Nebula immediately burst her bubble before she flashed a shy grin at her date, which happened to be the leader's partner Gwen of all people. Ruby certainly didn't see that coming. "Since we arrived here I felt like our team had too many internal struggled...most of them revolving around _you_ ," Nebula held up a hand to stop Ruby from protesting, "which I know isn't entirely your fault. I just want for us to spend some time together out there, enjoy ourselves as a team and use this as a chance to bond."

"I know _you_ are going to do some _bonding_ in your partnership," Dew teased her childhood friend.

"Shut up, Dew," Nebula flipped Dew off with a blush tinging her cheeks.

When there was a knock on the door, Ruby let out a resigned sigh.

At least she stopped them from picking heels for her.

"Ladies. Ruby."

"Keep that up and you are not getting laid tonight."

The young bandit drew laughter and giggles from her team and BRNZ before a grinning Nolan offered his arm to her, Brawnz doing the same for Dew, who was smiling brilliantly, and Roy offered his arm for May, although Ruby wasn't sure if they just went as friends or if there was actually something going on. Glancing at her leader, she saw her chatting quietly with Gwen as they were holding hands.

"You didn't really mean that just now, right?" Nolan asked Ruby quietly, making the girl snort in the process.

"That's really the only thing I'm looking forward to tonight. If I'd deny you sex, I'd deny myself, so no, don't worry."

"That's a relief," Nolan chuckled making Ruby roll her eyes at him.

"If you are too annoying I can still find someone else. It's not like I'm unattractive and above ditching you for someone better."

"Someone _better_? Than _me_? After I've made you-"

"Can you two please talk about something else?"

Ruby turned around to look at Dew's pleading expression before shrugging. "Fine by me."

"She insulted my pride as a man!"

* * *

The dance itself was, as Ruby expected, not really for her. There was this one moment when that Jaune boy appeared in a dress for whatever reason, which was entertaining enough but ultimately it was a bore.

After a couple dances with Nolan, she found a table to sit with her team and BRNZ and they all just chatted to glasses of punch, which, to Ruby's chagrin, lacked something essential.

"Can't believe there's no alcohol in this."

"You drink alcohol?" Dew gave Ruby a look that lacked any surprise.

"Occasionally," Ruby answered with a shrug.

Dew was about to comment before she just threw her hands up in defeat. "You know what? I don't even know why I'm surprised."

"Hey, I don't drink much. Just on rare occasions and when I do then just a bottle of beer or something like that. My...uncle's a drunk, an alcoholic and I don't want to end up like him." _A disgrace, I should also add._

"Alright, alright. Anyone else want a refill?" Nolan asked the group before Roy and Brawnz joined him.

"I'm gonna go and get some fresh air, this hall's getting stuffy," Ruby said and after getting some confirming nods from her team she got out on the balcony.

It didn't take long, however, for her eyes to narrow in suspicion at seeing a dark figure move from rooftop to rooftop just across from her position.

Whatever the person was doing, it couldn't be good. People sneaking in the middle of the night from rooftop to rooftop generally meant nothing good. She knew that all too well, considering how many times _she_ was the dark figure on rooftops.

Ruby knew, she could get after that figure. She could interrupt whatever they were plotting. She could probably even chase and intercept them with her semblance right now.

But all of that would mean attention. Attention from Ozpin. From Goodwitch. From Ironwood, who arrived earlier this week for whatever reason. They probably would talk to Qrow too. Maybe even her father.

She didn't need that attention. No, she'd just keep her eyes and ears open, she'd inform her mother of what she saw first thing tomorrow morning and otherwise she'd keep herself out of the wizard's court's radar as much as possible.

Besides, she had better plans for tonight than playing hero.

Heading back to the table, she smirked at her friend's eager look. "Oh, alright, Nolan. I guess you weren't annoying enough to replace tonight."

* * *

"They are here, right under our noses! Cameras hacked! Several guards dead and nobody notices a thing!"

Ozpin's tired gaze followed General Ironwood's agitated pacing. It wasn't like the General was wrong. He was right, very right even. The problem was that being right about what apparently transpired the night before couldn't undo what happened.

"We are well aware of all of this, James," Glynda Goodwitch glared at the general.

"Good that we are all on the same page then! What are we going to do about it?"

"We have to assume that we have either been hacked or that important data was stolen. Our best people are looking into it as we speak," Ozpin spoke up for the first time.

"And? That's it?"

"What else would you have me dodo, James? We have no information on the culprit, not even their gender. Any eyewitnesses are dead, cameras were hacked. We have no leads whatsoever."

The general scowled before he allowed the tension he felt since the previous night to leave him. "You are right, of course, Ozpin. I just hate doing nothing...not being able to do anything."

"I understand, James, believe me I do." Ozpin sighed warily, before getting up from his chair and gazing out the window. "It does feel like the calm before the storm, does it not?"

"There's also Summer Rose's girl, Professor," Goodwitch interjected.

"One of Qrow's nieces? I thought she died. What are you talking about?" Ironwood looked between Beacon's headmaster and his deputy with evident curiosity.

"Apparently, a fifteen-year-old girl with silver eyes applied to Shade past semester and got accepted. She applied under the name Ruby Branwen and is here at Beacon, at this very moment," Ozpin explained.

"Branwen?! As in-"

"Yes, James. Qrow got confirmation from his very own sister a few months back. Raven saved Ruby Rose from the Grimm that supposedly killed her. Raven raised her and trained her and if I know Raven at all after these years, then we have to work under the assumption that Ruby knows everything."

* * *

"Girls, today we get to choose our first team mission, accompanied by an actual huntsman or huntress! Any preferences?"

"Something with action, other than that I don't care," Ruby commented while putting her boots on before double checking her satchel and weapon.

"I agree." "Same."

"Action it is then."

The four of them then made their way out of the dorm building and walked towards the amphitheater. The hall was filled with students from three different academiesacademies and the excitement many of them felt in going out for actual missions was electrifying the air.

NDGR reached the large screen displaying the mission types and took a look at what was available.

"Is it normal that some missions require more than one team?" Ruby wondered out loud.

"Yep, there's also solo missions available but those are for at least sixth semester students.

"How about this one, ladies? 'Search And Destroy'?"

"Sounds promising," Ruby nodded at her leader's suggestion before checking the mission details on her scroll. "Hm...Mountain Glenn, Grimm hotspots, increased activity...and we need a second team."

"What about BRNZ?" Dew asked, trying to find them in the sea of students.

"Nope, they already signed up for a patrolling mission in the Vale outskirts," Gwen told them.

"Wow, they are _lazy_."

Nodding at Nebula's assessment of team BRNZ, Ruby nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden voice behind her.

"Hey, sis! How about we go on a mission together?"

* * *

 **AN:** Obviously Mt. Glenn will have some differences now. Any guesses?


	11. Mountain Glenn Part 1

**AN:**

This chapter has been sitting around forever...well, if a whole weekend can count as 'forever'. Anywho, can I just say that I love my readers? Some of the reviews I get are so detailed, so analytical- they are a joy to read, which is not to say that I don't appreciate any other reviews! I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter, as this is just the very beginning of the bigger things to come.

 **JackTheSpades:** I absolutely understand! I am not the greatest fan of almost identical retelling of the original source with the barest of diversions myself. That I had team RWBY get into the dock fight and highway chase with Torchwick was because I felt that those things happened more because Blake was still obsessing over the WF than Ruby's initiative. Things _will_ change _a lot_. Don't worry about that!

And yes, I am on a flow with this story rn! Also, not gonna lie, I kinda missed your reviews in the last couple chapters :(

 **Shadow** **Walker of Fire:** It will be different, that's for sure.

 **Tensazangitsu:** I have plans for Roman and Neo, I'll say that much.

 **Masane:** I'll hold you to that! Ch. 8: I was undecided for a while wether I should go all out with Ruby just dropping the whole truth bomb or if Ruby should be very selective with her _truths_. I'm glad to see my readers approved. And well, yeah, everybody enjoys reading about Cardin getting his ass kicked. Ch. 9: Heh, love the reactions I get to that smut scene. And tbh, I went with sexually aware Ruby because too many stories have Ruby be so ignorant in regards of sexuality and her own body that it's painful to read. There's a difference between shy/uninterested and completely ignorant. Rina is being overprotective with Yang, isn't she? And yeah, Ruby's upbringing and moral compass does not comform with the ideals of huntsmen and huntresses. She feels that. Ch. 10: I loved writing that talk! I'm glad you loved it! As for details of RWBY's fights with Torchwick and Penny's role/involvement...wait and see.

 **GeonteneArgon00:** First of all, thanks for the time and effort you invested in those detailed reviews! I'll make replies short, since I don't want to clatter my AN too much. First your Ch. 8 review: glad you picked up on the fact that I did not completely flipped Ruby's personality. As you say, Ruby is someone who puts duty above all. When in canon those duties are obvious- "I am a huntress, I have to protect the innocent and fight evil", here it is more nuanced because of her different upbringing, moral compass and world view but at the core that sense of dury remains. Ch. 10: I agree that Raven is not a coward but I feel her portrayal depicts her as such. She is, first and foremost, a survivor. She does not see the point in fighting something that _**(spoiler for those who haven't seen V6 yet)**_ cannot be killed. I want to make that clearer in this story. She is cunning, clever and, most of all, pragmatic. I want to highlight those traits because I feel they fell flat in her talk with Yang. Also, thanks for the writing tips!

* * *

Ruby sat on the bullhead with her eyes closed and arms crossed over her chest as her team and team RWBY were chatting with each other. She wasn't sure if she should be annoyed or not that it was her sister's team she would have to team up with for their mission on Mountain Glenn.

Their 'professional' huntsman was Beacon's history professor (or doctor as he insisted) Oobleck.

He didn't look like much, but then again, she would be a hypocrite if she were to judge him by his looks alone.

"You okay?"

Opening an eye, Ruby glanced across from her at her sister. "I'm fine. Why?"

"Dunno, you've been kinda quiet the entire flight so far," her sister shrugged.

"Ruby's always like that. Not much of a chatty type. She makes Gwen look rambunctious in comparison."

Throwing a half-hearted glare at Dew, Ruby let out a sigh before returning her attention to her sister. "I prefer to focus and gather my thoughts before a fight and closing my eyes and not talking helps."

"Mental preparation! Just as, if not even more important than physical preparation! I like it."

Blinking owlishly at the hyperactive professor, Ruby shook her head once before closing her eyes again.

While her inner turmoil did somewhat calm down since her talk with Raven, there still were things bothering her, like her relationship with Yang. It was obvious the blonde tried so hard to get close to her and Ruby would have to be completely blind to have missed that rose-shaped locket the blonde was wearing around her neck. But what could she do? If they would ever get that close again it wouldn't last long. Yang would pester her with questions Ruby wouldn't want to answer. On top of that, from what her mother told her, their father was a man with a very strong sense of justice, of right and wrong. It was obvious that he would have imprinted his views onto his eldest daughter.

Ruby, on the other hand, was raised and trained to see the many shades of grey the world offered, and treaded on the ones that were darker than the others.

As much as she thought about it, she simply had no clue how to handle her sister's attempts to bond with her.

 _Go with it_ , was what Raven said during their chat when Ruby sought the chieftain's advice on how to handle the social intricacies of fitting into a group of people from a morally completely different spectrum.

Maybe _go with it_ could fit here too? Should she just _go_ _with_ Yang's advances for a new sisterly relationship between the two of them? Should she allow for Yang's hopes to finally be reunited with the little sister from her memories to become true?

How long would that even last? What would even remain of their relationship once Yang would eventually find out all of her secrets? Raven's secrets?

It simply was too complicated. Sometimes Ruby wished that Raven would have broken her promise and had simply taken Yang with her and raised her and Yang together.

They could have grown strong together. They could have gone on raids together.

But a promise was a promise and a Branwen never backs out on their word unless it was for the safety of the tribe. Taking Yang away from her father would have been a singularly selfish decision and nothing else.

So Ruby would just have to figure this out on her own.

* * *

Mountain Glenn was bleak, no way around that fact. Ruined buildings, finished and half-finished, were littered wherever she looked, the pavings of the streets were cracked with vegetation breaking through, and the entire area was eerily silent.

"Well...this place is welcoming," Yang quipped, dealing with her obvious nervousness by making jokes.

Ruby dealt with it by having a firm grasp on Mist Thorn's hilt, taking comfort in its feeling against the palm of her hand.

"Mountain Glenn...Vale's biggest failure," Professor...or Doctor Oobleck began, before telling them a bit about this place's history while leading the students in search of a place to set up camp.

Ruby was lagging behind the main group a bit, her eyes taking in as much as they could. Their mission was to clear Grimm hotspots here, since apparently the activity of the beasts in this area had increased by a lot over the past couple months but so far, everything was dead silent.

It was unnerving.

"This looks like a good spot! Students, I hope you paid attention in Survival Class!"

As the girls began to set up camp, Oobleck began to scout the area for recent Grimm activity.

"I've heard about Mountain Glenn but never thought I'd actually ever be here," Rina broke the silence that had settled over the group. "This place honestly gives me the creeps."

"This place does have a certain feel to it, no doubt," the Schnee heiress agreed.

Ruby was the first to finish up with her spot before sitting down on her sleeping bag and pulling out her scroll. At least they still had scroll coverage out here.

The rest of the group slowly completed their own tasks and waited for Oobleck to return, some reading and some being busy with their scrolls.

"Brawnz and his team just landed at the village," Dew informed them with a light blush on her cheeks.

"How's that going for you?" Ruby asked, having decided that being social for a bit after being anti-social so far would be okay.

"Pretty great, actually! At first I just thought 'wow, he's hot' but after I got to know him a bit he turned out to be a really nice guy!"

"Well, as long as you are happy..."

A few seconds later Ruby felt one of the girls put the back of her hand on her forehead. With an annoyed sigh, Ruby looked away from her scroll. "Really, Gwen? Again?"

"One can never be careful enough when you are acting nice all of a sudden."

"And I'm supposed to be the youngest," Ruby muttered while removing the offending hand.

"Yeah, about that," Rina began, "how did you even get into an academy when you are...fourteen?"

"Fifteen," Ruby corrected her, "and I applied to Shade. Which is in Vacuo."

"And?"

"They don't care."

"While we have a council to represent the people," Nebula explained for Ruby while Gwen was back and snuggled up to her side, "the council's influence is minimal, so most laws are pretty much up for interpretation. We only have Shade as a real source of law and order."

Weiss nodded in confirmation for Nebula's explanation. "I always wondered how you Vacuans made that work. It does sound almost anarchic to me."

"Dunno, but we do," Gwen grinned before returning her attention back to her scroll and giggling.

"Ladies!" Eight females immediately turned their attention to Oobleck's voice. "Pair up with your partners. I have assigned each pair a hotspot of recent Grimm activity. Good luck and be careful!"

* * *

The sun was starting to set and finally Oobleck let them return to camp. It was a gruelling workout and fighting Grimm after Grimm after Grimm was not fun in any way. It became very monotonous and Ruby had to admit that it was more tiresome mentally than physically.

She wished she could have just used her silver eyes but after being forced once in Vacuo already and having to practically beg Professor Heize to keep what he witnessed to himself and threatening the boy she saved to do the same, she wouldn't risk such exposure again if she could avoid it.

Now the eight girls were sitting by a brightly burning campfire and eating whatever they brought with them.

"Sooo...how do you like Vacuo, Ruby?"

Swallowing the mouthful of her sandwich, Ruby looked up at Yang. "It's hot and you almost always end up with sand in your shoes but the City is okay, I guess. Less busy than Vale."

"Not fond of crowds, then?" Rina asked, looking at Ruby with that calculating gaze of hers.

"No, I'm not."

"I wonder how the huntsmen and huntresses get anything done out in the desert...how do you even survive such a heat?" Weiss wondered out loud.

"You wear this!" Dew exclaimed while holding out her scroll, showing Ruby off in the traditional desert folk's garbs the day they had their Grimm Defense class in the desert.

"When in the world did you take that picture?" Ruby wondered as she looked at it. She looked great in that outfit.

"You look adorable!" Yang gushed at her sister before looking at Dew. "Can you send me that picture?"

"Sure!"

"So, how does that clothing help exactly?" Blake asked while Ruby gave Dew an annoyed glare.

"It protects your skin from the sun so you won't sweat out any fluids. Many people think that out in the desert less clothing means more cooling but it just causes your body to sweat so much so fast that you can barely hold any fluids in your body."

"The material's also pretty light. I was more comfortable than I expected to be," Ruby added.

"Never thought I'd see the day Ruby would be talking about fashion," Gwen snickered while Ruby just rolled her eyes with a small smile.

"You act like I have no sense of clothing when I am wearing a good looking and practical outfit," Ruby retorted before returning her attention to her sandwich.

"Did you just make a joke?"

Giving Dew a blank look, Ruby shook her head. "I was being dead serious."

Their conversation came to a halt when Oobleck finished his own meal. "Enough chatter, ladies! It is time to sleep. Set up a roster to keep watch between yourselves. Keep watch in pairs. I will overlook the southern perimeter of our camp, the northern perimeter is your responsibility."

With that, the history professor left the two teams alone once again. The girls stowed away any garbage and checked over their weapons and bags before turning to face each other.

"...so how are we going to go about this?"

"I can go first." "I volunteer for first watch."

"Alright, that was fast. You two get first watch," Rina suppressed her laughter at Weiss' expression before wincing inwardly at Yang, who looked like a kicked puppy for having lost the chance to spend some one-on-one time with her sister.

"You have got to be kidding me," Ruby muttered under her breath.

* * *

"This should be a good spot," Ruby pointed out a single standing wall with a broken window and rubble serving as a heightened ledge to sit on.

"You still haven't apologized to me, you know?"

Ruby gave the heiress a look of utter bewilderment. "What for?"

"For running into me and knocking me over, of course!"

Exhaling heavily, the bandit fixated her attention on the horizon, pointedly ignoring the obnoxious girl next to her, who just huffed in annoyance.

Silence settled over the two girls, neither of them too keen on talking with the other. Weiss, however, didn't seem to enjoy the silencer any more than talking to her, as she was the first of them to break it.

"Your sister really missed you."

Ruby glanced at Weiss from the corner of her eyes. "I know."

"May I ask-"

"No."

Looking positively scandalized, Weiss sat up straight with her hands on her hips. " _Excuse_ _me_? You don't even know what my question was!"

"One way or another, it had something to do with Yang or Yang's mother. So, no."

Weiss looked down at her hands folded in her lap, before looking back at Ruby. "Is it so wrong of us to want to know why you caused so much sorrow to our teammate when it was avoidable?"

"I don't blame you for wanting to know things but if I can't tell Yang, what makes you think I can tell _you_?"

"But-"

"Look," Ruby began, irritation evident in her voice, "if all you are going to do is pester me with questions, you might as well just go to sleep. I can keep watch on my own just fine."

" _Fine_."

Weiss did not move away though, but she did stop her questioning; something for which Ruby was eternally greatful.

Ruby did understand where they were coming from, but that didn't make the constant questioning any less irritating. It was because of those many questions she had that little fallout with Dew. People did not seem to be capable of minding their own business.

"I'm going to do a sweep of the perimeter," Ruby spoke up before getting up to her feet and stretching her legs. "If I'm not back in, say...thirty minutes, then wake the others up."

"Alright. But we should still exchange scroll contacts."

"Ugh, fine."

With a roll of her eyes, Weiss held out her own scroll and Ruby held out hers as they waited for the signal of successfully exchanged contacts.

"Be careful," Weiss said, once that was done.

With a nod, Ruby started to walk northwards, feeling Weiss' gaze on her back, before she turned east. In a leisurely pace, the bandit took in her surroundings, her eyes alert and her hand on the comforting grip of her katana. For a while, all was quiet, but then, there were voices.

Following the voices, Ruby leaned against a wall, straining herself to hear what they were saying while remaining hidden.

"-honestly don't get why Adam makes us work for that scum Torchwick."

"I don't care about Torchwick, it's that creepy girl hovering over him that bothers me."

"Seriously?"

"Now, what does a little lady like you do by herself out here?"

Without thinking, Ruby rolled away from whoever it was behind her, her hand firmly on the hilt of her _Thorn_. Now in front of her was a Faunus in a typical White Fang uniform.

" _Tch_. Just a grunt," Ruby smirked at him.

The faunus growled at her. "And you are just a _human_. Yodi! Lux! We have a trespasser over here!"

Within moments, the two grunts she overheard earlier were surrounding her but Ruby kept smirking.

"Give up, girl. You are outnumbered. Come quietly and maybe I can put in a good word for you with our boss, so _maybe_ you can leave...mostly intact."

Ruby eyed the faunus before a small chuckle escaped her. It had been a while since her weapon had tasted blood.

In the blink of an eye she charged one of the faunus with her semblance, drawing her katana and slashing at her opponent in one fluid movement. He was barely able to block her attack with his own sword, but Ruby followed up with a thrust at his stomach, which his below-average aura couldn't block and so he found himself impaled by the blade. Ruby twisted her weapon once, drawing strained and pained whimpers from her victim, before removing it from the faunus' body. The grunt toppled over, clutching the rapidly leaking hole in his stomach.

Ruby turned to the other two grunts, flicking _Mist Thorn_ to the side to clear the blade of as much blood as possible, the wet sound of it dripping to the ground audible in the silence. "He is still... _mostly intact_."

The bigger of the faunus growled at her mockery before charging at her in a blind frenzy.

Ruby dodged him easily as he slashed at her with his large claws. She barely had time to react when the other faunus aimed at her sword arm with a bat. Activating her semblance, Ruby dashed behind the bat-swinger. His aura was considerably stronger than the first faunus', as it blocked her slash against his back. She followed with more quick, successive attacks but he blocked them with his bat. The clawed faunus tried to take advantage of her focusing on the bat swinger, trying to blindside her, but she got out of the way before he got his claws in her face.

"You two are certainly stronger than he is," Ruby said as she toed the grunt lying at her feet in a large pool of his own blood, but he wasn't reacting. Rolling him over onto his back with her boot, it was clear that he had indeed bled out, as he wasn't breathing anymore. "...or _was_."

"You bitch, _I will kill you_!"

The clawed faunus again charged at her, but he was still too obvious in his rage. Ruby easily dodged his attack, and focused her semblance into her arms, slashing his back rapidly with multiple attacks before he could react. His large amount of aura still tanked any real damage for him.

The other faunus took advantage of her focus on his partner and swung the bat hard into her back. While her aura protected her from the damage, the pain was still immense and left her winded as she tumbled across the ground.

Gritting her teeth, she got back up to her feet, her back screaming in pain. She was sure she would have a large bruise there.

Scowling at the two grunts, Ruby activated her semblance, wanting to finish the fight. She dashed at the clawed faunus, her earlier attack having reduced his aura significantly already and her current attack giving him the rest as she first stabbed him from the front and dashed behind him to stab him through his back.

Ruby then turned to the faunus with the bat, flicking her katana free of blood before sheathing it. She charged at him, kicked him into his stomach before he could react and then knocked him out with an elbow into the back of his head.

"Finally," she muttered to herself. Taking out her scroll, she looked at the time and saw she had only a couple minutes left before Weiss would organize a search party, if she didn't do so already, so she quickly called the heiress.

" _Where are you?! Do you have any idea how-_ "

"Shut up and listen! Wake the others up. I'm on my way back, with a...guest."

"What?"

"Just wake the others up and get Oobleck back the camp," Ruby said before ending the call. She didn't want to be caught out by more White Fang after all.


	12. Mountain Glenn Part 2

**AN:** Once again, what a great response for another chapter! It really does fill me with pride to see you guys enjoying my writing, to see you guys share your thoughts, ideas and worries in your reviews. So I hope to keep you guys entertained and excited with each chapter I write!

Also, completely random, but I really want to write a WhiteRose Faunus!Ruby fic because Faunus!Ruby is cool as hell but that won't happen anytime soon (unless I _really_ need to get it out of my system). I mean, I have 3 works in progress out of which two haven't been updated in forever. Can't really afford to add more onto that. Regardless, for future reference, what type of faunus would be interesting to read? PM me any thoughts about that if you guys don't want to clatter your reviews with something off-topic to this story!

 **JackTheSpades:** Well, I hope you find the solution for that problem acceptable!

 **KHARAKI TAKAN:** I did think about setting Ruby up against a RWBY member but honestly, I didn't like the idea to set up drama that way. Too obvious, too simple. Kinda like creating drama in romance fics/flicks and whatever else by making someone cheat on their partner. There are simply other, more interesting ways to create conflict. As for Ruby's slight struggles in the fight: first, she did basically one-shot one of them. Second, she is very arrogant, which I stated over the course of this fic. Third: she is still learning and while she has more experience in fighting than most of her age group, she is still just a teenager with adults very capable of overpowering her in terms of endurance and physical strength. Fourth: I really do not like every grunt being nothing but one-shot cannon fodder. Don't see the point of writing actual battles if Ruby can just breeze through most of them without receiving so much as a scratch. And she did just get hit once. I hope this explains it!

 **Masane:** Well, readers wanting daily updates is a compliment, no? And Rina's attitude will be explained in due time. As for Weiss...I do love her and I still am not entirely decided in which direction I want her to go with this situation her team finds itself in. I want her to have an impactful role. As for the fight, I am glad you enjoyed it! I honestly struggle a lot more with fight scenes than sex scenes, hah.

* * *

Dragging the unconcsious White Fang all the way back to the camp with gritted teeth as her back was still aching was not what Ruby would deem as an entertaining activity. But, alas, an isolated and captive member of said group was too valuable a source of information to just kill off. Honestly, it could have been either of the three faunus. The other two simply died first.

But here she was, Ruby Branwen, dragging an unconscious White Fang member back to camp so he could be interrogated.

Her back ached and her prisoner was no lightweight at all, but she had to soldier through.

Personally, she did not particularly care about the faunus terrorist group's presence at a Grimm infested and abandoned site like this. The possibilities were already narrowed down by the very nature of this location and those possibilities were even further narrowed down by the very nature of the White Fang.

But still, a prisoner could always end up revealing some information the captor did not see at first, maybe overlooked or was not aware of. One had to always count in improbabilities in this 'line of work'. In the criminal world it did not happen rarely that desperate times called for desperate measures, evident by the fact that she _did_ overhear two of the faunus talk about having to work with Roman Torchwick of all people.

And so, here she was, gritted teeth and aching back, dragging the body of an unconscious adult faunus through the dusty streets of an abandoned Vale project, Raven's teaching ringing in her ears.

 _"If you have the possibility to leave one alive for questioning then always be sure to take it; if for nothing else than to confirm the things you think you know."_

* * *

Almost crying out in relief when the camp became visible in the horizon, Ruby picked up her pace a bit.

She had to take a short break when the captive faunus stirred a bit, forcing her to knock him out again and to take that chance to catch her breath and relieve that pain in her back for a bit.

But now, so close to her destination, she found energies thought lost to her, almost rushing there without the aid of her semblance.

She saw a brightly colored mane of hair rushing towards her, followed by darker hair, both quickly revealing themselves as her sister and her sistet's partner. Glad that she finally could stop carrying that body, she dropped him carelessly to the ground and gently arched her back, groaning both in pain and relief.

"You two take over now, thank you..."

They didn't question her- although Yang looked like she could barely contain her worry and Blake like she was going to faint upon seeing her captive- and within moments the trio found themselves back at camp, the rest of the group waiting for them.

"What happened? Are you alright?" Yang asked her sister with evident worry in her voice once they reached the camp and the Professor began tying the White Fang up.

Ruby, not answering at first, sat down on her sleeping back and motioned for Gwen to take a look at her back before she took off her top, leaving her only in her bra and causing the Professor to blush furiously and look away.

"Miss Branwen, a little warning please..."

"Huh?" Ruby looked up at the professor before giving a careless shrug, wincing slightly.

"This looks painful, Ruby! What in the world happened?" Gwen grimaced at the sight of Ruby's back before looking for the appropriate salve to help her youngest team member's aura heal the bruised area.

"I just went to do a quick sweep of our perimeter, heard some voices, went to investigate but one of them sneaked up behind me. I took care of the other two before I knocked that one out," Ruby nodded at the still unconcsious, but now tied-up, faunus.

"That was a risky thing to do by yourself, Miss Branwen. I feel the need to reprimand you for your lack of caution," Oobleck gave her a stern look.

"It probably was but if I had walked away to call Weiss in a safe distance I could have missed important information, like them working with Torchwick," Ruby countered.

"We already kind of know that..." Blake pointed out causing Ruby to raise a brow at her sister's partner before hissing slightly at the cool touch of Gwen's hand massaging the salve into her bruised skin. "Thank you, Gwen..." Ruby gave her leader's partner a quick nod once she was finished tending to her back.

The soft-spoken girl smiled in response. "Don't mention it."

"What I'm more curious about," Rina began while fixating Ruby with her gaze, "you said something about two other White Fang and how you took care of them."

"They are dead," Ruby answered without missing a beat, holding RWBY's leader's gaze as a shocked expression slowly settled on her features. Silence settled onto the camp.

"You killed them. Just like that."

"Hey, let's not make any assumptions here," Nebula spoke up for her teammate, not liking how RWBY's leader made it sound as if the youngest of the group just murdered without a care or cause.

"She just admitted-"

"Rina, that's not-"

"I think we should-"

"Ladies, please calm down!" Oobleck finally spoke up, looking severely disappointed. "How about we let Miss Branwen speak for herself?"

Ruby just looked at the group with an amused smirk. "Yes, I killed them."

"And why did you not just knock them out?" Rina asked with a glare.

"Because I see no reason to hold back against an enemy who promised me that I can _maybe_ leave, and I quote, 'mostly intact', once they are done with me." While that was not _entirely_ true, as she would have killed them either way, that sentence certainly did seal their fate.

"That's it? You killed two people because of their choice of words? And you don't even care?"

Ruby gave the agitated Blake a disbelieving glare. "No, I certainly do not care about killing two terrorists who tried to kill me and threatened to either maim me or do worse."

"What could be worse than getting maimed?" Dew muttered with a shiver, still loud enough to be heard.

"To get raped, obviously." Ruby glanced at her partner, who now paled visibly while her eyes widened.

"They'd never do that!" Blake threw in vehemently, ignoring the elbow to the side by Yang.

Nebula quirked an eyebrow at that. "Are you seriously trying to protect a terrorist group right now?"

"I'm not-"

"Yeah, why do you keep-"

Ruby just looked on disbelievingly as another discussion broke out and she could honestly say she admired Oobleck for his staying silent and just observing the two teams completely ignoring the pressing matter at hand right in front of them. She was _this_ close to just flat out start laughing.

"I honestly can't believe you are doing this right now."

The heated discussion had died down before Ruby finally spoke up again, actually looking thoroughly amused. "And you actually want to be huntresses? Really?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Weiss asked indignantly over the silence of the other offended girls.

"Well, first, some of you," Ruby gave Rina a _very_ pointed look, "are losing their shit because I rid the world of a couple terrorists who _threatened_ _me_. Then," this time Ruby looked at Blake, her eyes noticing the subtle twitch of the bow when she did so and narrowing ever so slightly, "some of you would rather believe in those terrorists...good nature, I suppose, instead of my justification of protecting myself by any means necessary. And all the while, we have a captive right over there," Ruby pointed at the tied-up faunus, "ready to be questioned about why exactly it is that the White Fang have a presence in a Grimm infested and abandoned shit hole right in the outskirts of Vale."

"Very well said, Miss Branwen," Oobleck spoke up before any of the girls could say anything. "I can not express my disappointed in how you girls have been handling the situation we find ourselves in."

"But Professor, she _killed_ people!"

"Rina-" Yang began with a sigh but got interrupted when Ruby growled in annoyance before using her sheathed katana as a crutch to get herself up from her sitting position.

"I killed a couple rabid animals to protect myself," Ruby began as she walked up to Rina, ignoring the indignant gasps sounding around the camp, "and I would do it over and over again without batting an eye."

"Take that back."

Blinking owlishly, Ruby looked genuinely confused. "Huh?"

"Ruby, I know you didn't mean that but you can't say that!" Yang looked both shocked and concerned at her sister's choice of words.

"What are you talking about?"

"Ruby," Dew spoke up, her voice tinged with indignation, "you honestly don't get that you just called faunus...well, 'rabid animals'?"

" _Oh_ , _for the love-_ ," Ruby threw her hands in the air in frustration. "He," she pointed with her sheathed weapon at their captive, "is a rabid animal. A terrorist. Possibly a would be rapist who had no qualms in maiming or killing a fifteen year-old girl." And she _seriously_ hated having to play the age- and gender-cards but...desperate times, desperate measures. "She," Ruby now pointed her weapon at Blake whose eyes widened instantly in realization, "is a faunus, a person." Almost perfectly in unison, the three other girls of NDGR turned their heads to look at Blake in surprise. "And now _I_ will get on with our actual job and stop wasting anymore time with this stupid farce and at this point I don't care what the rest of you do. Go cry and grief over two dead terrorists who would have killed your family or friends for the 'faunus cause'," Ruby made air quotes with her fingers, before moving over to her satchel and taking out a water bottle. She pointedly ignored the rest of the girls when she made her way over to the faunus with the bottle in her hand, even though her team looked at her with obvious pride. While Ruby was annoyed that her team did not try to move on to business and got caught up in that ridiculous scene created by RWBY, she was still glad that, for the most part, they let Ruby take care of herself. She neither needed nor did she want babysitters. If people had a problem with her, she could take care of them by herself just fine.

Once she reached the faunus, she uncapped the bottle and emptied a healthy amount of water over him, causing him to jerk awake. "What the-? Where-?"

Crouching down with a slight wince, Ruby removed the Fang's mask, revealing a rather young looking canine caunus. "I'm going to make that simple. I ask questions and you answer them truthfully."

The faunus actually laughed at her. "And what makes you think I will tell you anything, kid? You killed two of my friends!"

"I don't take kindly to threats." Getting up from her crouching position, Ruby unsheathed her sword before she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"What are you doing, Ruby?"

Glancing back at her sister, Ruby just smirked as she pointed the tip of _Mist Thorns_ blade at the faunus' crotch. "I'm going to provide him with the incentive to follow my rules."

" _That_ won't be necessary, Miss Branwen," Oobleck cut in over Yang's shocked and disturbed expression. "I will take over from here."

"Suit yourself, Professor," Ruby shrugged before sheathing her weapon again. "Do you need me here?"

"No, you have done more than enough. While I do not approve of your regrettable choice on how to deal with your attackers, I _do_ understand it. Go and rest your back for now, it is obvious you are still in pain."

"Okay," Ruby answered with a nod. She walked back to her sleeping back and sagged down with a groan before lying down on her stomach, her arms folded under her head. She was tired and her back hurt and some rest really didn't sound half bad right about now.

"How's your back?"

Ruby turned her head to the side and scooted away a bit to allow Gwen to sit down on her sleeping bag.

"Painful."

"Here, I've warmed up a heating pad for you. It should reduce the pain and help with the blood flow and circulation around the bruise," Gwen explained before softly pressing the pad onto the bruise.

Ruby let out a low moan of relief as she felt the pain gradually ebb away and the tensed up muscles slowly relax around the injured area. "Oh, this feels so good..."

"Glad I can be of help," Gwen gave a low chuckle. "Once we are back at Beacon, you should still visit the infirmary though, just in case."

"Will do," Ruby answered with a soft sigh as she felt her eyelids grow heavier, her body relaxing at the warm pressure softly applied by her team leader's partner onto her back, and within moments she felt herself drift off.

* * *

Yang looked at her sister, the ugly bruise that was visible on her naked back moments ago covered by her teammate as her breathing became more and more relaxed.

The girl lying there seemed more and more like a stranger to her the more she got to know her. The blonde didn't know what exactly her mother had done with...or _to_ her younger sister but the sweet girl who could never get enough of Patch grown strawberries or would treat Summer's cookies as a real meal seemed so far away now. The memories of the clingy and hyperactive Ruby seemed to become more and more like dreams, as if they were more fiction than fact, fabrications of her own mind.

Her own body still struggled to decide on how to handle the revelation that her own sister- her baby sister of fifteen years, in the middle of puberty!- had killed. Not once, but twice. The fact that she seemed so completely unfazed by it, brazenly stating she would do so again if she found herself in a similar situation once more...the implications made her want to break down crying.

And her own team, bless their hearts for protecting her and her feelings, for looking out for her and her happiness, but she could take care of herself. She was a big girl, quite literally so. While she did appreciate the sentiment, Rina, Blake and Weiss were doing their best to alienate not only Ruby but Ruby's entire team and she could not afford that. If she wanted to even have a chance of bonding with Ruby again, then antagonizing her and her team was no help whatsoever. And she was sure that if she could get through to Ruby, get a chance to truly talk with her, she could find out just what actually happened to her, because _this_ could not be Ruby. Her baby sister was not a killer. Summer's child was not a killer.

No, if she wanted a chance, her team needed to back off.

It was time f-

"Ladies! We...might have a problem. Miss Darcy, if you would please wake Miss Branwen up, we need to discuss what was revealed and our next course of action."

Turning away from Oobleck, Yang looked at Ruby's teammate gently shaking her awake, silver eyes blinking the sleep from the short nap away. Once Ruby slowly sat up, Yang caught sight of the scarring marring her sister's skin, obvious remnants of the worst day in Yang's life, before she turned away again. With a deep breath, she forced the screams that had been haunting her for years, the screams calling for her, begging her to help, into silence.

No. She would not fail again. She failed once and it was one too many times. But not again.

She would find out what else Ruby was hiding from her, one way or another.

With newfound resolve, Yang Xiao Long vowed to protect Ruby Rose.


	13. Mountain Glenn Part 3

**AN:** Once again, thanks everyone for the amazing responses I keep getting and I encourage everyone to point out any flaws or any grievances you might see or find in this story. I may not agree, we may have different opinions in the end, but I like discussing why I did what I did and went with this or that path. That being said, enjoy!

 **KHARAKI TAKAN:** Thanks for pointing out the "effort"/"afford" mix up! We discussed everything else, so I hope you enjoy this!

 **Silent Reader 6100:** Of course she has experience fighting adults but she still is only fifteen and adults have naturally more general experience than her and more physical strength. Still, in the end she outclassed them and got away with a single hit.

 **JackTheSpades:** Not gonna lie, I'm not sure I catch your drift :'D. And yeah, wolf Faunus!Ruby _works_ and is adorable as hell but there are so many other adorable faunus types...and I'm always up to go for roads rarely, if not ever, taken.

 **Masane:** Oh, I don't feel pressured. The fact that these chapters keep popping up is because of a mixture of time, motivation and inspiration. I know it won't last but until then I will enjoy writing as much as I can.

And yes, I had so much fun having Ruby call out the people pointing fingers at her. Ruby definitely does not shy away from dropping truth bombs. Also, I think in canon Yang was not aware of her mother's 'occupation' at this time of the storystory. She basically knew nothing about Raven, only that she was a difficult person. Qrow also never talked avout her...I think. I'm pretty certain.

As for the interrogation, Ruby just used fear tactics. She would only have gone _there_ if really necessary.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight: the White Fang and Roman Torchwick plan to breach past Vale's walls. They plan to do so by using the abandoned underground train tracks connecting Mountain Glenn with Vale. The train is armed with bombs and stolen Atlesian mechs. The compartments armed with bombs disconnect after a set time to blow holes for Grimm to come through. The train is supposed to breach through the barrier built to seperate Vale's inner city from the underground railway."

Oobleck kept on nodding during Ruby's repeating of what she and the rest of the girls had just been told. It sounded utterly ridiculous, the entire plan seemingly with no outcome that could benefit the White Fang's supposed goal in achieving equality with humans.

"And he just told you all of that."

"You have your ways, Miss Branwen," Oobleck explained while adjusting his glasses, "and I have mine."

"Fair enough," Ruby shrugged. "On another note...what exactly does Torchwick get out of this? Stealing all of Vale's dust is one thing but aiding an act of blatant terrorism is another."

"We do not know what goes on in the head of a criminal and we won't find out by sitting around and speculating. Ladies," Oobleck exclaimed while rising back to his feet, "we have work to do! I will contact the headmaster and explain the situation to him. We still have time as the White Fang are still in the middle of their preparations for a larger scale attack of which this train is a part of. Once I have talked with the headmaster we will see how we are going to proceed here."

The girls nodded at the professor as he moved away from the group for some privacy and quiet, leaving the two teams to their chatter.

"You said you were aware of Torchwick working with the White Fang?" Ruby asked her sister's team, their attention now on her.

Team RWBY glanced at each other before Blake sighed and answered Ruby's question. "Yes...he was stealing dust from the docks with the White Fang helping him and he was at a White Fang rally I infiltrated."

"Did you actually stop him at the docks?"

"No...we were outnumbered and...he is a good fighter," Blake admitted, the bitternes evident. "He didn't get everything but a lot was still lost."

Ruby nodded at the explanation, still confused and curious about Torchwick's motives. It made absolutely no sense that a common criminal like him would get sucked into any political group's agenda, let alone the White Fang's.

"Another question," Ruby began as she remembered listening in on the two grunts before the battle started. "Do you know anything about some girl working with or for Torchwick?"

"There was a girl during the rally and she also helped him escape later after we destroyed that mech he was in," Blake explained once more.

"Oh yeah, that's right," Yang spoke up, "he called her _Neo_ I think."

Ruby began to cough wildly as she choked on the water she was drinking upon hearing _that_ name. It couldn't be, it just could not be _her_. "Does she have heterochromia?"

"Heterowhat?" Yang asked but Weiss answered after rolling her eyes at the blonde.

"If her hair coloring wasn't artificial then yes, she does. Pink and brown hair and I think her eyes were pink and brown too but I can't be too sure; there was a bit of a distance between and still a bit of smoke around us after all."

Ruby had stopped listening after the description of the hair color, her heart beating rapidly in her chest as the feelings of betrayal and abandonment came flooding back.

"You know her?"

Ruby looked up at Rina, suppressing long forgotten memories as annoyance at RWBY's leader once again took over. "If she is whom I think she is then yes."

"And why exactly-" Rina began but Oobleck was back from his talk with Ozpin and Ruby sighed softly in relief.

"Girls, I have good news for you." He looked around the group, having their undivided attention. "While your performances during handling the Grimm was splendid and professional and you have proven that you have the potential to become outstanding huntresses, your performances became subpar as soon as the situation moved you out of your comfort zone. I would have been forced to give most of you...average marks at best," Oobleck explained, indicating with a quick glance that Ruby was excluded from the 'most of you'-part. The other girls looked disappointed and ashamed, or in Weiss' case ready to faint. " _But_ ," Oobleck continued into the silence of the girls, "I know you can be better, _do_ better, so I asked our headmaster to give us a chance to handle it and, luckily, he accepted. This is a chance for you to show me your _true_ potential. Show me you can work together, stay focused and be professional!"

The girls sighed in collective relief before thanking the professor while Ruby quickly went to her sleeping bag to put on her top but was stopped by Gwen.

"Does your back still hurt?"

"It's getting better, my aura's started to work on it and that heating pad did wonders."

"That's good...cooling it probably would have been better but I didn't have anything with me," Gwen explained while looking through her own bag.

"Don't worry; I'm fine, really."

"I believe you, but since we are likely to get into lots of fights I should still compress it though...there we go." Gwen moved towards Ruby with a compression bandage.

Ruby dutifully stood still and raised her arms up to give Gwen easy reach around her body as she wrapped her lower torso up tightly.

"Tell me if it's too tight."

"I can breath okay, so it's fine like this," Ruby said before doing some testing of her range of movement. Once done, she gave Gwen a satisfied nod and grateful smile. "Thank you. Now off you go, back to your girlfriend; I doubt she's happy about you hanging around half-naked me for the past hour or so."

Blushing furiously, Gwen looked scandalized before walking back to a laughing Nebula, who had heard Ruby, after throwing said bandit a deathly glare.

"That was mean."

Ruby glanced at the direction of the amused voice, sighing internally when seeing Yang. "Just a little bit of teasing."

"So..." Yang began, looking nervous as she watched her sister pack up her sleeping arrangements, checking and double checking her bag before putting on her top.

"What is it, Yang?"

"Can I ask...how you know that Neo girl?"

"It's personal."

Yang frowned at that. "Damn it, Ruby-"

Interrupting her sister with a loud and annoyed exhalation, Ruby pinched her nose for a few moments before walking up to her sister and putting her hands on Yang's shoulders, guiding her a bit farther away from the rest of the group. "I want you to listen to me, Yang, because I will only say this once: I love you, I truly do. You are my sister and nothing can change that and I will never forget how strong you were as such a small child when my mother...never came back," Ruby spoke, her voice soft but her steely gaze locked firmly with her sister's, "but I am begging you to stop trying to force yourself into my life."

"Ruby-" Yang began, obvious that she wanted to protest, but Ruby interrupted her.

"No, Yang. It won't work like this. I do want to have as good a relationship as it is possible, even though I know that it can never again be like it was; believe me, I truly do," Ruby looked at her sister, her sincerity clear in her voice. "Respect my privacy. Stop pestering me when I indicate, or outright tell you, that I won't answer your question."

"You never answer anything!"

"And yet here we are because all you ask are questions you have no business asking. Stop sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, Yang." Granted, Yang didn't actually ask many questions...at least not directly and out loud, but Ruby was aware of her; of the little glances the blonde threw in her direction, of the longing gazes. And all the while, Ruby saw the many, _many_ silent questions Yang had. It was obvious; _too_ obvious. Ruby had promised Yang answers at some point but she would bet her sword-arm that her elder sister would not wait that long. No, she would be digging but in some places the soil should be left undisturbed.

Yang gave her sister an unbelieving look. "Did you just...threaten me?"

"No...I warned you." Ruby's voice was soft, barely above a whisper. "Please heed it." She let go of her sister and returned back to her things, checking her dust magazines before slotting one into _Mist Thorn_. She didn't look back at her sister and Ruby was sure that she damaged the brittle relationship they had; maybe not irreversibly, but it certainly would not heal overnight. She knew she hurt Yang and it really was not something she took any joy in but it was for the best. It was something that had to be done, for Yang's sake.

* * *

Oobleck led the group to the area described by their captive. Ruby still had no clue how Oobleck managed to get the White Fang to just reveal everything but if she had to guess she'd go for his semblance.

Their captive was tied up in as secure a location as Oobleck could find around their camp, ready to be picked up by the reinforcements that Ozpin and Ironwood still sent their way.

It made sense, honestly. Ruby would have been shocked if the headmaster would have allowed a bunch of second semester students and one teacher to infiltrate a White Fang hideout which held loads of explosives and stolen Atlesian army equipment.

"Huh," Ruby looked around, "this is were I fought them. Look, there's blood."

"Where are the bodies?" Rina asked before glaring at Ruby who returned the glare with a deadpan expression.

"I ate them," Ruby said emotionlessly, "secretly I'm a racist Grimm and I eat the flesh of innocent faunus."

Dew actually guffawed at that while Gwen and Nebula looked away to hide their silent laughter but they couldn't stop their shoulders from shaking. RWBY on the other hand looked entirely unimpressed.

"Ladies, I have found the entrance!"

The group quickly made their way towards the professor, Dew still giggling.

The entrance, a steel trapdoor, was not particularly hidden, as it simply was inside a broken down building with barely any walls left to actually justify calling it that. But then again, there was no real need for the Fang to go out of their ways to hide that trapdoor as there were hardly ever any 'visitors' in Mountain Glenn.

"What now, Professor?" Ruby asked, itching to go inside and see if it really was Neo team RWBY saw as her heart started racing again.

"We wait for the reinforcement to arrive," Oobleck answered before muttering under his breath something about _first good thing coming out of having half of the Atlesian army stationed here._

And there went her approval of said reinforcement. "We have no idea of what's waiting for us inside though. I could go in and take a quick look around," Ruby suggested, trying to quickly come up with reasons to support her suggestion.

"I doubt that is a good idea, Miss Branwen. It is risky enough to have you girls be part of an infiltration of a rather large enemy operation, but it is something else entirely to allow a single one of you inside there by yourselves."

"My semblance is speed. I am rather hard to catch."

"Although I have seen your speed with my own eyes, I would still rather not risk it."

Ruby could barely contain her groan of disappointment.

So, without much of a choice, they waited. Both teams were sitting somewhat distanced from each other, their earlier arguments still somewhat in the air between them. Ruby, personally, didn't mind as it just meant that her sister's teammates backed off a bit from her.

Except maybe for that Rina girl.

Ruby had no clue what that girl's business with her was but it was plain ridiculous. It was one thing to be supportive and protective of a teammate and friend but RWBY's leader acted as if she held a personal grudge against her.

Ruby shook her head clear of such thoughts. She had other goals right now. Other worries. Other people to occupy her thoughts with.

Suddenly they heard a low hum of powerful engines and, looking around them, they saw the slow approach of a couple dropships.

Oobleck wasted no time to light a flare, indicating their position.

After a few more moments the aircrafts arrived, several Atlesian soldiers and smaller mechs being dropped off on their position before the ships continued to their camps location, probably to pick up their captive- if a Grimm didn't find him already.

Ruby glanced at the professor talking with one of the soldiers but didn't pay much attention to what was being said.

It seemed their talk went on for forever until finally the soldier in charge approached them.

"I have been told you are all very talented huntresses in training, so my expectations are high. I will ignore your age and experience and trust that you do make up for what you lack there with the raw talent you supposedly have and the survival and combat skills you _should_ have, considering the career path you chose." He paused for a moment, looking at the group of girls, assessing them before locking onto team RWBY. "You have had run-ins with the White Fang and Roman Torchwick before." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes, sir," Rina answered the question and quite proudly so, causing Ruby to roll her eyes.

"And I have been informed that two White Fang were killed?"

"Yes," Ruby spoke up this time, "three attacked me and two died in the process."

"You seem to handle the fact that you took somebody's life considerably well," the soldier commented without sounding accusing.

"They were terrorists who threatened my life. I'm not going to feel guilty over ridding the world of those two."

With a noncommittal sound, he turned his attention to the rest of NDGR. "You three I know the least about. Talented fighters with a good work ethic. The least one should expect of hunters and huntresses in training."

"He's not wrong," Dew commented after a moment of silence before another soldier approached them.

"Sir, we are ready to breach."

With a nod he returned his attention to Ruby. "Professor Oobleck mentioned your semblance; speed."

"Yes," Ruby answered with a nod.

"You will use that semblance to get to that train and sabotage it. I don't care how you do it but it needs to be disabled. We will give you a small head-start, to keep suspicions at a minimum. We will then follow and engage."

Ruby couldn't believe she got to go in by herself after all. Oobleck did not look happy at all, but she didn't care. Just speed in, destroy the cockpit and find Neo. "Easy enough."

"You are ready then?"

"Yes."

"Very well, then, let's not waste any more time. Move in."

With a nod, Ruby stepped past the entrance, barely hearing her sister's soft _be careful_ , and made her way down a long row of stairs. She had an inkling that this was all built recently, maybe as a means of quick access to escape and entrance routes. Ruby wondered if there were more strewn across this place.

After some moments of walking deeper and deeper below ground, Ruby finally started to hear the sound of work and she inched closer to a wall as the narrow pathway led to a gigantic area swarming with White Fang. Crates and boxes were moved to and fro, lift trucks carrying cargo and lots of work done on the train.

Ruby took a deep breath before shooting off like a bullet. Her speed had the desired effect and created enough suction that White Fang and lots of cargo flew through the air behind her. However, the chaos and distraction created by her would not last forever and she sped towards the train, leaving a mess of faunus and rose petals behind. Within moments she reached the train and sped on until she arrived at the driver's compartment. Finally deactivating her semblance and catching her breath, she entered the compartment before drawing her katana. Not wasting another moment, she activated the fire dust of the dust magazine in her weapon and drove the blade into the controls before quickly removing it and turning away from the small explosion of fire and sparks.

Rising back up, Ruby saw something approach her from the corner of her eye, a reflex allowing her to deflect it with her _Thorn_.

Turning towards the direction from which she was attacked, she saw her attacker; a young woman, who happened to be even shorter than her, with both hair and eyes of the same pink and brown colour.

Despite the myriad of emotions, Ruby found her voice to be surprisingly calm.

"It's been a while, Neopolitan."

* * *

 **AN:** I always thought heterochromia was that two different eye colours thing but it apparently affects hair and skin too, although the hair heterochromia I looked up on google never showed two-coloured hair as vibrant as Neo's. Also, just to make it clear, nothing romantic ever happened, happens or will happen between Ruby and Neo. I meant it when I commited to the casual fling Ruby.


	14. Mountain Glenn Part 4

**AN:** Thanks again everyone for the many reviews and also for the many, _many_ Faunus!Ruby suggestions! Nothing else to say other than: Enjoy!

 **Masane:** You seriously made a bet on my update time? That's hilarious. Glad I could make you win. As for Rina: you'll have to wait and see. And Neo? She's too cool to not be in this story.

 **Star's Keyblade4114:** It is hard for Yang, though, isn't it? First she had to live for years in guilt over being the reason for her sister's possible gruesome death, then she's back all healthy, then she's nothing like Yang hoped for he to be and on top of all that she's having more and more questions and no answers. But you are right, the way she is going about this thing is definitely not the best way.

 **JackTheSpades:** Oh, yeah, was kind of obvious in the end what you meant, but don't you worry, I do have plans for that moment. And yes, post-Breach will be different. Remember when you were worried about this turning into more of a canon retelling with just a few differences here and there? I hope those worries are put to rest now :P And yeah, Rina will have a role, she's not just shadow-people-ish. Things will happen with her.

Also, yes, wolf Ruby is really the go-to faunus type when you want it to just work but there are sooo many of those. Don't worry though, I doubt I will go super exotic when that time comes, even when I gave myself a giggle imagining a chameleon Ruby with chameleon eyes moving each eye independently and freaking people out.

* * *

Ruby held _Thorn_ at her side, nothing about her betraying the myriad of emotions rolling through her. They had a year together, a single year, and that single year when Ruby had to adjust to so many changes, to so many new things inserted into her life and so many old things removed, _she_ was there. When Raven didn't tutor her, _she_ was there. When other kids picked on the new girl, _she_ was there. When she felt lost and alone in that entirely new environment, _she_ was there.

And then she was gone, as was a good chunk of the tribe's money and food.

Only killing her own kin or another member of the tribe would have been considered a worse crime.

At first, Ruby didn't really understand just how bad Neo's actions against the tribe were. All she knew was that, aside from Raven, the first of the tribe to openly care for and look after her left her. Without a message, without a _goodbye_. It hurt and the feeling of loneliness she felt at first after telling Raven she wanted to stay and to _be strong like my mommy_ returned with a vehemence that was unexpected.

After not being able to see her big sister she thought she had gained another, even bigger sister. But then she was gone.

And, once she started to fully grasp the idea, the value, the rules and the loyalty of the tribe that took her in, all those feelings were amplified with the realization of the magnitude of Neo's betrayal.

Not only did she abandon the tribe without reason or cause, no; she stole from their hard earned loot.

And now, after almost nine years, there she was.

Ruby slowly aimed the blade of her katana at Neo's neck, lifting up the necklace with its tip. "I can't believe you kept this."

Neo remained unmoving, her face not betraying any emotions.

"I made one for you...one for Raven."

As soon as Ruby spoke out that name, Neo looked spooked, if only for the shortest moment.

Chuckling, Ruby withdrew her weapon before sheathing it. "You have every reason to be scared of Raven. She was furious. Not once since you left has she been that angry again." Putting a hand on her weapon's grip, Ruby locked her gaze once again with Neo's. "Before we begin, I want to know why you did it. Why did you run away? Why did you _steal_ from the tribe? Why did you leave _me_?"

Neo gave Ruby a sad look before shaking her head slowly. Reaching into her pants' back pocket, she pulled out her scroll and quickly typed something. She then tossed it to Ruby, who caught it before reading the message.

 _'I had my reasons but they don't matter anymore. What's done is done but I never meant to hurt you, Ruby.'_

"Fair enough," Ruby shrugged and tossed the scroll back. "But for the record, getting my foot almost bitten off by some Vacuan Grimm did not hurt nearly as much as you abandoning the tribe and me did."

Neo just gave Ruby a confused look before shrugging and resting her parasol on her shoulder and smirking at Ruby.

Ruby gave a low chuckle. "I'll show you what I've learned, alright."

In the blink of an eye Ruby charged at Neo, drawing her katana and slashing at Neo in one sharp move. Her attack was blocked by the parasol, the force of it making the heeled girl skid back a few inches. Smirking at Neo's surprised look, Ruby resumed her offense, alternating between slashes and thrusts. Neo, however, was able to keep up with the younger girl's relentless attacks as she was forced deeper and deeper into the train.

In the middle of another combination of attacks Ruby then activated the fire dust, causing Neo to feel the heat off _Mist Thorn's_ blade as it barely missed her face.

A few strands of singed hair floated down to the ground as both girls took a quick breather. Neo pulled her scroll out again and tossed it to Ruby after typing her message.

 _'I'm impressed. Never thought that little runt from back then would ever be able to fight like this. You have yet to hit me, though.'_

Ruby scoffed before tossing the phone back. "I got your hair. That counts as a hit."

Neo just shook her head and wagged a finger in denial.

"It _does_ count!"

Her protest was cut short however, when she was forced to dodge the end of the parasol, out of which she saw the protruding tip of a sharp blade.

Neo, now the aggressor, used her parasol expertly and Ruby had to wonder when she decided for such a weapon design. She didn't have it back at the tribe.

The elder of the fighters alternated between opening the parasol to block Ruby's vision and her attacks and close it to try and land jabs and misdirect Ruby's thrusts.

It was one of the most equal fights Ruby had to fight since she started training with _Mist Thorn_.

The noise of the battle going on outside drew closer as they kept moving from compartment to compartment.

Neither held back and neither used their semblance as this was a battle of pure skill and both fighters had such in abundance.

Ruby went for a horizontal slash and Neo dodged it with a low split before getting up with a swing of her legs, forcing Ruby into a jump or her legs would have been kicked away from under her. Neo, quickly back on her feet, then thrust her parasol at the still airborne Ruby, opening it mid-thrust. The force of the thrust pushed Ruby towards the wall behind her. Twisting her body around so she faced the wall, Ruby stretched out her legs and the moment her boots touched metal she walked up the wall before pushing herself off it and over the outstretched parasol, landing behind Neo with a flip.

With Neo's back towards her, Ruby activated her semblance, focusing it on her sword arm and, the movement not even visible, thrust at the elder girl.

What she did not expect, however, was the shattering of a physical illusion.

The clicking of heels on the metal floor made Ruby turn around with a sigh.

Smirking while typing away at her scroll, Neo tossed it once again at Ruby, who rolled her eyes at the message.

 _'Did you really think you are the only one who can play dirty? Please.'_

"I've been wondering, Neo," Ruby began as they took another quick breather before tossing the scroll back to its owner, "what exactly is Torchwick getting out of working with a bunch of terrorists? He's your common criminal, so joining up with some political agenda makes no sense to me."

Neo didn't say anything for a while before her shoulders visibly sagged and she typed away again, this message taking the longest so far. Once finished, the scroll found itself in the air once more before being snatched out of it.

 _'We aren't working with the WF. We are just as forced into this 'partnership' as they are. There's a bigger player who promised us a lot of money- more than we could have ever made. We got greedy and now we can't get out. I'm worried about Roman and I'm not going to lie and pretend that we will live through this to spend a single lien of our promised cashout.'_

"You know, if you really were promised so much...did you never wonder about the _why_? Were you never suspicious?" Ruby asked, tossing the scroll back.

Before Neo could type her answer, her scroll vibrated once and Ruby could see Torchwick's picture through the screen.

Closing the message and turning off the device, Neo put it back into her pocket before giving Ruby an apologetic look.

"You know I can't let you just leave like that," Ruby commented and dashed towards the mute girl with her semblance, slashing with her katana but ending up hitting nothing but another illusion. Sighing in annoyance, Ruby just stood there for a few moments before sheathing _Mist Thorn_.

"I _hate_ that semblance..."

* * *

The battle outside of the train seemed to be pretty much over too, with only a few skirmishes between a few White Fang and the group's Atlesian helpers happening and _those_ were quickly over once the huntresses in training joined the soldiers and mechs.

Ruby made her way back to the main hall in a leisurely pace, leaving the glory of a hard fought and won battle to those that actually fought it. She had her own job, which she finished, and even ended up getting at least some answers on a personal matter. Of course, knowing the actual reason why Neo ran away would have been the best possible outcome but it was to be expected as Neo always was enigmatic and secretive.

If she was honest, Ruby knew hardly anything about her. She didn't know where Neo was from, she didn't know if Neo was mute from birth or if her mutism was the result of a traumatic experience, she didn't know if Neo had any blood relatives, she didn't know anything.

All there ever was between the short girl and her was the care she showed for her when she felt lost and alone, the first aside from Raven, and that was enough for her leaving to affect her so deeply.

"There you are!"

Ruby nodded at Dew as the blonde walked towards her, although with a very obvious limp. "I assume the battle went well?"

"We kicked some serious ass!" Dew grinned proudly before wincing and throwing am arm over Ruby to support herself. "Though my ankle hurts like a bitch..."

"What happened?" Ruby glanced sideways at her partner, allowing the blonde to use her like a crutch.

"One of the Fang hit my ankle with what turned out to be some fancy Atlesian prototype rifle or something. Those guys weren't really thrilled that we were right there to see the surprise on their faces once they saw just what kind of toys the Fang got to steal from Atlas' military without them realizing."

"I can only imagine," Ruby nodded.

"Where were you though?"

"I had my own fight after I disabled the train."

"Was it that heterochromia-chick?"

"Her name's not that complicated, Dew," Ruby rolled her eyes at her partner's forgetting a three-letter nickname but effortlessly remembering a lengthy word like _heterochromia_ , "but yes, it was Neo."

"Did you win?"

"It was a draw," Ruby shrugged. She'd be lying if she said that fighting Neo like that wasn't the most fun she did have in a long time.

Dew looked surprised but didn't comment further as they had reached the rest of the group, all looking fine aside from the odd scrape and bruise.

"Miss Branwen! I hope you are alright?"

Ruby gave Oobleck a quick nod, confirming his hopes. "Don't worry, professor."

After also confirming her part of the job a success, the students and Oobleck were escorted outside by a couple mechs while the rest of the military personnel was waiting for word from Ironwood on how to proceed from there.

Ruby, though, was just glad that this mission was finally over.

* * *

Ruby was scowling. She was not happy at all. In fact, she was extremely unhappy.

Her team and team RWBY were being summoned by _the wizard_. She just wanted to go to _relax_. She wanted to shower, she wanted to sleep the day away and then, if she happened to be in the mood, she wanted to fuck.

What she did not want was to be squeezed in this elevator all sweaty, stinky and with an unpleasant taste in her mouth after not being able to brush her teeth, up on her way to the office of the very man her mother warned her about the most.

"I still do not see why this is necessary. All we did was-"

The quietest of team RWBY of all people was the one to finally crack, her amber eyes flashing in annoyance. "Can you _please_ just stop and be happy that our effort has been recognized?"

" _Tch_." Crossing her arms over her chest, Ruby turned her body away from the group before the elevator finally stopped.

Oobleck stepped out first and was quickly followed by both teams.

"Professor," the man behind the desk greeted Oobleck. "It is good to see you all safe and sound."

"It certainly was more exciting than we first assumed, headmaster. _But_ these young girls I was charged with will indeed ensure a bright future for our profession."

Team RWBY was beaming with pride as was NDGR...except for Ruby, who kept scowling and avoiding to look at _the wizard_ and whoever else may or may not be with him.

"Indeed," Ozpin agreed with his teacher before eyeing both teams. "I wanted to thank both our own team RWBY and team NDGR of Shade Academy in person for the bravery you have shown today. Being a huntsman and huntress does not end with fighting the creatures of Grimm after all. While our profession does indeed specialize in fighting monsters, our goal above anything else is to protect the innocent and that is what you have done today. If what the White Fang had realized their plan and brought it to fruition the number of dead civilians would have been...dramatic. While _they_ may never know it, do take pride in the fact that you have saved many, _many_ lives today. In the name of the citizens of Vale I thank you for that."

Before the teams could mumble their own thanks, another voice spoke up, Ruby still avoiding to look at the direction of _the wizard_ and his guests. "I would also want to formally thank you for discovering the White Fang's presence at Mountain Glenn and, as a direct result, for discovering our stolen Atlesian military equipment. Not only have you saved lives today but also prevented a massive political fiasco if the White Fang would have managed to attack Vale's inner city with Atlesian technology. So, in the name of Atlas and the Atlesian military in particular, I, General James Ironwood, would also like to thank you. You have done your peers proud today."

While Ruby refused to acknowledge any of the gushing praise they were showered with, the rest of the girls all mumbled shy _thank you's_ , obviously proud but surprised.

Ruby couldn't blame them though. Both _the wizard_ and the general did lay it on a bit thickly.

"That would be all, I believe," Ozpin spoke up again. "Go, take your well deserved rest. You have earned it."

Ruby barely suppressed a groan of relief.

 _Finally_.

* * *

Late at night, at the Branwen tribe's chieftain's tent, a scroll was vibrating, waking up one sleeping Raven Branwen. With an annoyed huff, the chieftain picked up the scroll before rubbing her eyes and blinking several times, trying to clear her vision off of the sleepiness. She then looked at the scroll once more, reading its message, her eyebrows gradually disappearing under her bangs.

 _'I found Neopolitan. She's working with Torchwick, probably for at least a few years now. She seems to care for him. I fought her during a Beacon mission in Mountain Glenn and got some answers. She said she had reasons to do what she did, whatever that is supposed to mean. Did she see no other choice? Was she threatened? Forced? I'm not sure, mother, but I don't think she did it to actively spite the tribe. There seems to be more to it. Also, Torchwick and she are forcibly working with the WF. Neo said something about a big money offer- which they accepted out of greed- from some 'bigger player' that they can't get out of anymore. She is actually scared for Torchwick and doesn't think they will get out of it alive. I don't know what to think, mother. On one hand I want her to stew in her own decisions and mistakes, on the other I don't want her to get hurt.'_

Raven sighed while running a hand through her thick locks, reading the message again.

"Why can't things be simple, just once?" Raven muttered as her finger hovered over the call button under Qrow Branwen's name.

* * *

 **AN:** Now why would Raven consider such drastic measures, I wonder? Also, while Neo, Raven and Coco have similar or even the same necklaces I am 99% sure CRWBY just reused recourses there. Doesn't matter for fanfiction though.


	15. Interlude 2

**AN:**

Guess who's back! Sorry for the long delay after treating you with updates almost on a daily basis but life got in the way and I really am struggling financially. It's really bad and my looking for a 'normal' part time job is not going great. I've even considered going on but honestly, I don't want to lock content for my stories behind a paywall and I'm also not even sure how many would be willing/able to pay even $1/€/whatever. Escort/Callgirl was another thought I dismissed quickly because I am way too scared about getting hurt in that line of work, no matter how promiscuous I admittedly am, even though a friend, who works in that sort of business, didn't have bad experiences there...as far as I am aware. If any of you guys have ideas to help me out, I'm glad to hear them because I can ask my parents only so many times for help when their business isn' t going great either. I seriously am getting desperate. Also, if any of you guys have suggestions that could make work without offending you guys, I'd also be happy to hear it.

Now, with all that being laid out in the open, let's get to your reviews of the last chapter!

 **Star's Keyblade4114:** Yep, Neo's done messed up. And you are right, she did have her reasons but was it worth it in the end? Obviously not. Now all she can do is survive and hope.

 **JackTheSpades:** Ikr? It did look like Neo knew whom she was facing in the show when Raven suddenly appeared. I wonder if RT will ever 'reveal' what that reaction was about, if there even was anything to reveal in the first place.

 **Masane** **:** Hah, yeah, the Neo-Betrayal-Trope is kind of cliché, isn't it? But not everything cliché is automatically bad, so I'm glad you found my version of that to be well told. As for Neo's parasol, if you search 'parasol' in google images you can also find lace parasols which basically are what Neo has. A parasol can be those giant things for your garden but also for you to carry around in your hand. Also, Neo did not draw the blade out. If you remember in Volume 3 when Neo and Roman fought Ruby, when Ruby was hanging from the edge of the ship they were on, Neo was able to have the tip of her blade show from the top end of her parasol. That was what Neo did here. Other than that, she just fought with her parasol, sometimes opening it and sometimes closing it.

 **KHARAKI TAKAN:** Thanks, I'm glad you liked the fight! I did have a lot of fun writing it and honestly, I can't wait to write more Neo fights. It really is as much fun to write her fighting as it is to watch. As for Neo and Raven...I have an idea or two.

* * *

"Wow."

"Yep." Ruby was on Nolan's bed, lying on her side, wearing her birthday suit only. It had been a couple days since teams NDGR and RWBY had returned from their mission; a mission that turned out to be a lot more exciting than either team could have anticipated. After, once team BRNZ returned, proposing to a certain redhead that they once again reap the benefits of their friendship, Nolan eagerly agreed and here they were, both comfortably on the bed and telling each other of their respective missions after they were done with their romp.

"We just did some patrolling at some villages. Nothing exciting at all happened."

Ruby just rolled her eyes as she glanced at Nolan. "And _that_ would have nothing to do with the nature and location of the mission your team chose."

"There could have been surprise attacks of some kind..."

"Right."

"Sooo," Nolan began after a small lull in their conversation, clearly wanting to say something but not quite sure how to go about it. Seeing Ruby's raised eyebrow, he let out a sigh before rolling over to his side and propping his head up with a hand. "How do you feel?"

Now with both brows raised, Ruby let out a small chuckle. "Utterly satisfied."

"Good to know, but I wasn't talking about that. You just told me you killed people. Aren't you...I don't know, affected by that?"

"No," Ruby answered with a careless shrug of her shoulders. "If I hadn't killed them they'd have done worse to me."

"I get that, believe me. I'm sure they deserved it too. But it still couldn't have been easy."

"But it was."

They both were silent for a few moments before Nolan spoke up again with a slight frown on his face. "How are you so okay with that? Have you...killed before?"

"I did. It was a man. He tried to rape me. I stabbed his throat with the knife my mother gave me to protect myself. I was ten...or eleven, I'm not sure. I puked afterwards." It was an easy lie that would serve its purpose. It wasn't like she wanted to gloat about killing those White Fang but she knew Nolan cared for her and he would hear about it sooner or later through his team leader when Dew would share their team's shenanigans with BRNZ' leader, who also happened to be Dew's boyfriend. Ruby just wanted the inevitable out of the way as fast as possible.

"Damn."

"It was a hard lesson to learn, sure, but some people are just vile enough that I figured there was no need to not use lethal force when I defend myself since my potential attackers don't care for _my_ well-being. At the very least, once they are dead, I will have rid the world of of people who are nothing more than a waste of space."

"Fair enough, I suppose, though I'm not gonna lie and say it isn't slightly unsettling to see you be so cynical...you know, considering your age and everything."

"Maybe," Ruby replied with a shrug. "I mean, I admittedly didn't have the luxury of naivety in my childhood. I learned harsh but necessary lessons very early on and don't get me wrong, I am _glad_ I learned those lessons the way I did."

"Really now? You are glad some pedophile tried to rape you?" Nolan gave her a doubtful look.

"Not that, obviously, but other things. I'm not going to go into detail here and I never will but what I have been taught...prepared me early on for the ugly side of the world. Those lessons have numbed me in many ways. I'm not going to panic or try and hold speeches and appeal to their better sides when someone tries to attack me in whatever ways. I will just attack and show them that they have made a fatal mistake."

Her friend was not looking at her, his eyes fixated on the wall behind her as his brows were furrowed in deep thought.

"Huntsmen and huntresses will be in life or death situations, Nolan. Do you really think you will get away fighting terrorists by appealing to their better nature? Do you really think you will get away with just trying to disable someone while they hold nothing back against you? While they have no qualms about _killing you_? The most important lesson I was ever taught was that life is no fairy tail. I...do remember my birth mother and then Yang reading me all the stories about huntsmen and huntresses and their adventures and I wanted to be just like them. But life isn't like that, Nolan. Idealism is all good and well but eventually it will hold you back and kill you. There are no second chances in life."

The silence following her long speech was awkward, even she had to admit that. Her silver eyes were seeking Nolan's pink ones and he eventually locked gazes with her. "You sure you are younger than me?"

Ruby couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her. "It was made sure that I was mentally ahead of my peers."

"Look, I understand your point," Nolan began, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, "but it's not exactly an easy thing to process how casual you are about taking other people's lives."

"I never claimed it should be otherwise," Ruby replied, "but this is simply how the world works. The weak die, strong live. Those are the rules. If I had been weak against those animals we wouldn't be having this conversation," the young Branwen smirked at her friend as she patted his cheek lightly. Her hand then wandered to his bare chest so she could push Nolan onto his back, before swinging one of her legs to the other side of his hips, straddling him in the process, giving him an eyeful of her naked front. "Enough of this, Nolan. I am up for round two, but are y- nevermind, there's my answer," she chuckled, raising her hips a little bit and reaching for the firm offender poking her butt-cheeks before impaling herself onto him with eyes closed in bliss and a moan escaping her when she felt two strong hands roughly groping her breasts. "So much better than talking, don't you agree?"

"Alright, alright, I'll shut up if you keep going..."

And with that the only sounds heard were the rythmic squeaking of the bed as it was thumping against the wall and the moans and groans of the two teens.

* * *

"Of all the people wanting to meet me I did not expect you to be one of them, Raven."

Raven closed the portal behind herself after stepping out of it before turning towards her twin. She didn't actively hate _him_ but she did hate what he had become. A slave to alcohol and nicotine. A slave to a wizard's cause from an era that was not theirs. It was a shame and she regretted agreeing to being sent to Beacon to learn how to fight as and against huntresses and huntsmen. They could have just lived on how they did without that knowledge. Maybe the tribe wouldn't flourish as it did now but at least they could have remained blissfully unaware of the hidden truths and dangerous secrets of this world.

"I need information." Raven wasted no time with chit-chat as she sat down across from him at the dimly lit corner of yet another dingy, Mistrali pub. What she _did_ actively hate were meeting places like this.

"Oh?" Qrow leaned back against the chair he was sitting in, the drink he was holding in one hand sloshing around in its cup with his movements. "Really now? Gimme a moment; let me just throw all the information at you, out of the goodness of my heart and because I love you so."

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Qrow."

"I beg to differ."

Raven had thought long and hard how to go about this meeting with her estranged sibling. They _were_ close, once. Inseparable even, as twins were always, or at least often, said to be. But ever since attending Beacon, they drifted apart.

The Branwen tribe's chieftain would be lying if she said her time in the academy didn't change her either, because it did. They may have been in their late teens, at the crisp of legal adulthood, but they were still teenagers, they were still impressionable. She fell in love with Taiyang. She acted on it. Eventually she got pregnant. She could see her brother had feelings for their leader, for Summer, but he was never as straightforward as she was. He was always quiet, distant.

But the dynamics of the team were changed forever, for better or for worse.

The fact that their team was notorious for its raw strength and talent made them an easy target to get picked by Ozpin and his secret missions.

That was when they truly drifted apart. Qrow didn't question things. He saw how Summer took those missions as a privilege and acknowledgement of their team's achievements and went with it. But Raven...Raven was the suspicious one. She always asked questions.

And she was right. Their blind trust for Ozpin was what ruined them, was what killed Summer, was what tore apart her family by blood.

And now here they were, like two strangers, always trying to set up deals in exchange for information.

It was what it was and no matter how many times she cursed Ozpin's very existence, nothing would change.

She would always have to think long and hard about how to go about these meetings with her brother, about how to get him to part with the information she wanted from him.

"I assume you have heard about Neopolitan?" She looked at her brother, her expression indifferent at the smirk that immediately broke out of his face at her question.

"I've heard of how she robbed her own tribe and disappeard...which apparently had you very _displeased_."

"You could put it like that, yes."

"So...what about this Neopolitan?"

"I will give you something I know you really want...in exchange to everything you can tell me now or at a later date about Neopolitan, Torchwick and who the person behind them and the White Fang working together is."

"You ask for a lot. What could I possibly want so badly that I would agree to this?" Qrow asked with his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Raven gave him that smirk she knew her twin hated so much. "To see and talk to Ruby of course."

* * *

Some time had passed since most of the teams had returned from their missions. There had been tell, of course, about a particularly exciting mission two freshmen teams had found themselves in but the rumour mill did die down pretty quickly.

As it was, the semester inched closer to its end and with it, the official beginning of the Vytal Tournament came closer.

Ruby couldn't deny the small surges of excitement she felt every time she thought about it. Fighting other huntsmen and huntresses in training, finding out where she stood when going head to head against the supposed best every one of the academies had to offer? She was definitely up for that.

But for now she had to go through a few more classes before her entire attention could be focused on those things.

At least, currently, she was in combat class and not history or anything of a similar boring nature. Although, watching that slow mace-swinging brute...Carlos? Corden? Well, watching him and the rest of his team get humiliated by a single girl wasn't half as interesting as it sounded, so Ruby found herself drawing a sketch for a new weapon she may or may not be thinking to add as a second weapon to her _Mist Thorn_.

"Designing a new weapon?"

Ruby glanced up from her sketch to her partner before giving a quick nod. "Yes. It's not like I have anything to complain about with _Thorn_ but a little bit of variety won't hurt."

Looking at the various sketches, all but one crossed out, Dew gave a thoughtful hum while tapping her chin with her index finger. "I don't see how another melee- even a curved dagger- gives you all that much of a variety in fighting styles. You'll still be fighting up close."

"That's what I'm struggling with. I was thinking about adding a ranged weapon but I'm not sure how effective I'd be with one. All I've every trained with were melee weapons."

"Let's find out then and head to the shooting range after class."

Ruby shrugged in response. "Alright." It wasn't like she had much else to do.

"Her."

Ruby looked towards the arena at the male voice and saw a young man in all grey and black clothing with grey hair pointing at her. "What about me?"

"Mister Black wishes to spar with you since we have time for another match, Miss Rose. Had you paid attention then you would be aware of that."

Ruby just rolled her eyes at the blonde woman's scolding and got up from her seat, her hand on the comforting hilt of her weapon. Once arriving at the arena, Ruby gave her opponent a once-over. She wasn't sure if she had seen him before but he definitely gave her a vibe of vague familiarity. Maybe she saw him in passing at some point. "I'm flattered you chose me to fight."

"I heard things. I got curious."

Ruby quirked up an eyebrow at that but didn't comment any further. Instead she backed away a bit and readied herself for the fight.

Once Professor Goodwitch gave them the signal, Ruby activated her semblance and rushed at her opponent, drawing _Thorn_ and slashing at Black in one motion. He dodged her with a surprised look on his face before it morphed into a fierce grin.

He aimed a hard kick at her side but Ruby blocked it with her sword, now looking surprised herself at the faint metallic sound she heard coming from the clash. She quickly ignored it and forced her concentration back to the fight at hand. Her opponent was definitely of a different caliber than what she was used to up to now. He used several kicks in quick succession and caught Ruby off guard once again as those kicks unleashed explosive rounds at her direction. Using her speed to get out of the way of that attack, Ruby decided for a hit and run strategy, making more use of her speed powered attacks. So she kept dashing in and out of battle, slashing at her opponent, forcing him into reflexive blocks and his aura to absorb what he couldn't block.

Still, Black managed to keep his composure and he even forced her to interrupt some of her dashing attacks to dodge occasional kicks he still managed to get out.

This continued on for a while, both fighters trading blows with each other, Ruby continuing with her hit and run strategy while Black was content with being on the defensive and getting choice hits on Ruby in reply to her fast attacks.

Neither of them paid attention to the time and were surprised when the bell sounded, indicating the end of class. Due to aura levels Ruby barely won, the difference only marginal.

"A formidable match, you two. I can see you both going far in the Tournament," Goodwitch complimented them before dismissing the students.

Ruby gave her opponent a quick nod before heading back to her teammates, thanking Dew who waited for her with her bag at the ready.

"You still up for the shooting range?" Her blonde partner asked.

"Yes, let's go." Ruby answered with a nod, a brow quirked up when she caught Black looking at her with a smirk and a wink.


End file.
